A.M. Links: Bernie Expected to Endorse Hillary Today, Trump Still Deciding on Running Mate

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NEXT: Barbara Boxer and the Democratic Party Hold Two-Day Festival Against Free Speech

Damon Root is a senior editor at Reason and the author of A Glorious Liberty: Frederick Douglass and the Fight for an Antislavery Constitution (Potomac Books).

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  1. Bernie Sanders is expected to endorse Hillary Clinton today.

    Sell. Out.

    1. Just a thought not a sermon

      Somebody, please let Damon know there are other pictures available for him to use.

    2. He should have taken the Green Party nomination. He is NOT principled.

      1. Rich

        This.

        Plus, it would have been so much more entertaining.

      2. straffinrun

        He’d be perfect. What color is envy?

        1. Rufus The Monocled

          I believe green is the color of envy.

          1. straffinrun

            Is that your new “Hello”?

            1. Rufus The Monocled

              D’oh!

              HELLO!

              1. *forwards to HR for angry capitalized text*

      3. Zeb

        That would have made a lot of sense. Some Clinton associate must have suggested that such a move might not be great for his well being.

      4. Dennis (n?e GILMORE?)

        He should have taken the Green Party nomination. He is NOT principled.

        It also seems an odd choice. his political career has been as an independent. Playing party-hack wins him nothing, and loses him a great deal of credibility with his own freaky-constituents

        1. Citizen X

          I’m almost tempted to get back on Facebook just to see how my Bern-victim friends are handling the news.

          Almost.

    3. SIV

      Sanders is late to the party. Gary Johnson and William Weld have already endorsed her.

      1. Derp-o-Matic 5000

        Trump did it first, albeit eight years ago.

      2. Rich

        Ooh, BERN!

    4. Dobroye utro.

      The memory hole will get so much use that the building may be set on fire.

    5. Rufus The Monocled

      Hello.

    6. invisible furry hand

      His squirming will be delightful

      1. Rich

        “There is no evidence that Secretary Clinton took as much Wall Street money as I originally thought.”

    7. Fun with ellipses:

      “Bernie Sanders is expected to endorse Hillary Clinton today…and people will die.”

      1. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

        It’s funny because it’s true.

    8. Arizona_Guy

      We all knew he would bend the knee sooner or later.

      It’s still entertaining to see the ‘principled’ candidate endorse a woman who represents what he hates.

      Arizona_Guy waits for rationalizations from the left

  2. Just a thought not a sermon

    199) At Yale, a cafeteria worker was arrested for shattering a stained glass window depicting slaves carrying cotton. Slate characterizes this as an honorable act of anti-racism. No, it was pointless iconoclasm. The window was there to remind people of what happened, not celebrate it.

    1. Rufus The Monocled

      By this logic, Jews should destroy Auschwitz.

      What a bunch of emotional intellectual derelicts.

      1. Just a thought not a sermon

        The author, who apparently was a Yale student in the mid-2000s, has this personal remembrance: ” It was gross. It embarrassed us and disgraced the college.”

        She pretty much confirms my assumptions about your average modern day Ivy League student.

        1. Dumb as a stump but makes up for it in word count?

      2. SugarFree

        Actually, I’d be OK with Jews destroying Auschwitz.

        Google “auschwitz selfie”

        1. RBS

          You put selfie after just about anything and get some prime examples of human idiocy. Milfs excepted.

          1. Chipwooder

            and yoga pants

          2. You misspelled accepted.

        2. Rufus The Monocled

          “Honestly, I don’t think I would do anything differently because I didn’t mean any harm,” Mitchell told TakePart Live in a video interview posted to YouTube on July 21.”

          Whoosh! Right over her head. That seems to be a common thing with millennials: Lack of judgment and perspective when it comes to stuff like this and social media. It’s like decorum has no place in their world view.

        3. Also, Anne Frank’s museum. Forever tainted.

      3. By this logic, Jews should destroy Auschwitz.

        A better analogy would be Jews burning the books that recount the happenings at Auschwitz.

        1. Lefties might be able to overcome their latent antisemitism for a good ol’ iconoclastic book-burning rally.

    2. Derp-o-Matic 5000

      Progtards can’t tell the difference.

    3. Rich

      The window was there to remind trigger people of what happened, not celebrate it.

      FTFY

    4. Lee Genes

      LOOK AT ME, I’M REALLY PISSED OFF AND GOING TO DO SOMETHING IRRELEVANT.

    5. Suthenboy

      Another Trigglypuff?

      1. Tonio

        The thing about Trigglypuff is that she’s not an outlier – her pov is becoming increasingly common.

        1. invisible furry hand

          I had no idea what a Trigglypuff was, so I googled, Fuck me, it’s a real-life Millie Tant

          1. I had no idea what a Millie Tant was, so I googled, Fuck me, it’s a fake-life Trigglypuff.

            1. It’s Trigglypuffs all the way down.

              1. bacon-magic

                I might change my screen name to Pigglypuff. Thoughts/comments?

            2. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

              C’mon now, Trigglypuff is a cartoon, too.

        2. The thing about Trigglypuff is that she’s not an outlier – her pov is becoming increasingly common.

          Peecha chakka no wookie bonowa tweepie Solo? Ho ho ho ho….

    6. BigT

      ISIS is expecting a call from this guy.

  3. Donald Trump says he will announce his vice presidential pick in the “next three to four days.”

    So a lot of politicos will be screen their calls this week.

    1. I prefer SugarFree’s method of selection.

  4. Lord Humungus

    What’s on Hillary’s bookshelf?

    I think that a lot of Christopher Lasch’s work and Alan Wolfe’s work and Habits of the Heart ? that wonderful old sociological work that was led by Robert Bellah ? are also really helpful. Because we need to be reminded of what is unique about the American experience. De Tocqueville saw it. Habits of the Heart came from his writings, and you can see how more difficult it is in a 24/7, 360-degree media environment to find the time to think, to breathe, to spend relaxation hours getting to know people.

    We just don’t do that. We don’t build relationships; we don’t, on the Republican-Democratic divide in Washington, spend any time with each other ? even less than what I did when I was there, and that wasn’t that long ago. So I think looking at writings both by political scientists and sociologists about how America worked well and trying to sort through what did we lose that has made it so hard for people to even listen to each other.

    And I do think ? and I keep saying this, because I believe it ? I think the media environment where people are rewarded for being outrageous, for yelling at each other, for saying things that are untrue without being held accountable for it has contributed to this attitude of divisiveness and separation. And I regret that.

    1. Lord Humungus

      *an interview with Ezra Klein

    2. straffinrun

      Got a link if you want to see what’s in her drawers.

      1. (((Renegade)))

        I hope you get banned again.

        1. straffinrun

          Let’s make that happen.

          1. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

            He is proof that the ‘report spam’ button isn’t just there for show.

    3. Just a thought not a sermon

      So, a bunch of sociology that was modish in the 1990s.

      “De Tocqueville saw it. Habits of the Heart came from his writings,”

      I doubt it.

      1. Lee Genes

        That’s like saying Rousseau came from Locke.

      2. Raven Nation

        I’m pretty sure De Tocqueville would endorse Hillary.

        1. Lee Genes

          The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.

          1. Raven Nation

            One of the best quotes from the book.

        2. Lee Genes

          Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.

        3. invisible furry hand

          Those that despise people will never get the best out of others and themselves.

          1. What, hatefucking isn’t a thing now?

    4. Lee Genes

      Bellah was a communitarian. Community first, individual second. More accurately, a communist afraid to call himself a communist.

      1. Lee Genes

        And Lasch was just an asshole.

    5. SugarFree

      You know that asshole doesn’t read. Just fucks around on her Blackberry and has Huma tell her everything she needs to know, like a cut out for a mafia don.

      1. Rich

        The debate moderator should put her on the spot, like Palin.

        “I’m too busy fighting to break through visible and invisible barriers to spend much time reading. However, I can say reading is very important to me, and to The American People.”

        1. WTF

          The debate moderator should put her on the spot, like Palin.

          Democrats are not there to put fellow Democrats on the spot.

    6. So I think looking at writings both by political scientists and sociologists about how America worked well

      Two professional groups uniquely unqualified to commenting on a value judgement like “how America worked well”. As a group, 95% of political scientists and 99.999% of sociologists will credit every modicum of social advancement to some government program, doctrine, initiative or law.

      1. Agent Cooper

        “So I think looking at writings both by political scientists and sociologists about how America worked well”

        God forbid one talk to a prole, like a farmer or mechanic. You know, the plumber who can’t afford to discriminate.

        1. Don’t worry, she doesn’t have an intellectually curious bone in her body. She just cited “political scientists and sociologists” as an appeal to authority. It just happens to be the case that she also credits statism for all good things. She probably does talk to proles more than she reads, those photo-ops aren’t going to generate themselves.

      2. Lord at War

        Remember… Ezra Klein is that dude who said the Constitution was like 100 yrs old, and he couldn’t figure out how to do netflix.

    7. America does work better when the elites are all chummy together. Like it always used to be!

    8. Agent Cooper

      “for saying things that are untrue without being held accountable for it ”

      Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha

  5. President Obama is scheduled to speak in Dallas today about the killing of five Dallas police officers.

    COMMON SENSE GUN CONTROL.

    1. Juvenile Bluster

      It’s the solution to everything! Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it mentioned sometime during the reformation of the House Un-American Activities Commission Senate Democrats anti-free speech anti-Global Warming denialist tirade.

    2. Charleston (white supremacist): GUN CONTROL!
      Orlando (Islamic supremacist): GUN CONTROL!
      Dallas (black supremacist): GUN CONTROL!

      F*** Barry.

      1. Charleston: FBI screws up Dylan Roof’s background check, doesn’t follow up for MONTHS.
        Problem Diagnosis: “Charleston loophole”
        Solution: Gun control!

        Orlando: FBI interviews and clears Omar Mateen – THREE times!
        Problem Diagnosis: “Assault weapon” access
        Solution: Gun control!

        Dallas: Black guy says he wants to kill whites, especially cops.
        Problem Diagnosis: SKS == AR-15 == “assault weapon”.
        Solution: Gun control!

        1. NYC2AZ

          San Bernardino: Terrorist attack in a state with some of the most strict gun control in the country.
          Problem diagnosis: “Assault weapons”, altering bullet buttons, avoidance of background checks.
          Solution: Gun Control

    3. …and don’t forget race-baiting, there will be lots and lots of race-baiting….

  6. Lord Humungus

    Sand sculpture of busty Cape Cod mermaid draws complaints

    A busty mermaid sculpted from sand and placed outside a popular Cape Cod restaurant is raising eyebrows and triggering complaints.

    The town of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, and the local Chamber of Commerce say they fielded complaints from locals about the exaggerated proportions of the mermaid’s chest. Yarmouth’s police department took down photos of the sculpture from its Facebook page after residents said they found the work of art offensive.

    1. Torpedoes….los?

    2. Just a thought not a sermon

      People are offended by large breasts? Or, oh my God, the children might realize adult women have bodies!

    3. Rich

      Wonder what they’d make of this, one of Paul McCarthy’s milder offerings.

    4. SugarFree

      This doesn’t sound very body positive.

    5. Lee Genes

      But ancient fertility totems are totes cool.

    6. Some people would have coronaries if they ever visited Florence.

    7. Agent Cooper

      Cup shaming? That’s a new one.

  7. invisible furry hand

    This is a rather splendid reaction to being hit by a car

    1. Just a thought not a sermon

      It’s nice to see there are still some real men in the world. Although he really should go to a hospital and get checked out…

    2. Hey, if the dinner plate sized spiders, drop bears, sharks and such can’t kill ‘im. What chance has a mere automobile?

    3. straffinrun

      Wait a second. He left the scene fearing he would have to pay for an ambulance? I thought your healthcare is free?

      1. invisible furry hand

        Of straffy, you know nothing is free 🙂 The public hospitals don’t charge you, but the ambulance does, and it charges like a wounded bull. You can actually take out insurance just for the ambulance (people also often take out private health insurance, because of choice, and they get a tax break for it)

        1. straffinrun

          About the same here. I have two insurance policies covering my “free” national healthcare shortcomings.

        2. BigT

          My daughter required a $5,000 ambulance ride once, in Big Sur. Ins paid 80%

    4. Lord Humungus

      See all that beer drinking does the body good, keeping it in a permanent relaxed state.

    5. Hit by a carload of Asians. Ha

    6. Agent Cooper

      I have a feeling he was drunker than the driver.

  8. House Speaker Paul Ryan will appear on a CNN town hall tonight.

    Hopefully they’ve asked that professional sympathetic drug warrior back to ask him about backing Donald Trump.

    1. Domestic Dissident

      For the life of me, I couldn’t imagine any normal person wanting to watch a Paul Ryan town hall meeting even if the All Star Game wasn’t going on.

      1. WELL I CAN’T IMAGINE ANY NORMAL PERSON WATCHING THE ALL STAR GAME WHEN PAUL RYAN IS ON.

        1. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

          WELL I CAN’T IMAGINE ANY NORMAL PERSON WATCHING THE ALL STAR GAME WHEN PAUL RYAN IS ON.

          /Edited for brevity

  9. Just a thought not a sermon

    “The Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague has rejected Beijing’s claims to the South China Sea.”

    I’ll be honest, I’m surprised to see this. It’s the right decision, I just thought the court would take the path of least resistance.

    1. “You have made your judgment, now let us see you enforce it!”

    2. WTF

      How many divisions does the Hague have?

      1. Just a thought not a sermon

        At least they’re not giving cover to the Chinese, like the Armenian genocide memory hole.

  10. invisible furry hand

    Cool reactions, number 2: Takeaway owner, confronted by armed robber, serves another customer instead

    1. (((Renegade)))

      What I liked best was the linked story at the bottom, “Why You Shouldn’t Wear Undies To Bed.”

    2. Wish I could go place an order at his place.

    3. Eternal Blue Sky

      “That is why my nature is cool. I have been 20 years here and never seen any fighting. In Egypt it happens every day but in New Zealand I am calm because it is a safe country.”

    4. Jimbo

      Nice one, but you can’t fool me! New Zealand doesn’t allow criminals to have guns, so therefore it DIDN’T HAPPEN!
      (burn!!!)

  11. (((Renegade)))

    Donald Trump says he will announce his vice presidential pick in the “next three to four days.”

    Please please please tell me it’s Dakota Skye.

    1. Rich

      By golly, it *is*!

    2. Raven Nation

      Huh, did not realize they titled that movie after a porn star.

  12. Lord Humungus

    The fish that swap gender 20 times a day: Frequent sex changes of chalk bass are the secret behind their lifelong relationships

    Some say relationships are all about give and take, and this is certainly true for a tiny species of fish that lives on the coral reefs of Panama.

    The chalk bass, a fish found on the reefs of the Carribean, owes much of its evolutionary success to the fact it can switch genders up to twenty times a day so that both partners can contribute eggs.

    But a new study has found that this frequent changes in sex could allow the creatures to remain in monogamous relationships for life.

    1. Juvenile Bluster

      I sexually identify as a chalk bass.

    2. Eternal Blue Sky

      But which bathrooms can they use??

    3. Suthenboy

      “…frequent changes in sex could allow the creatures to remain in monogamous relationships for life.”

      Bullshit.

      1. Lord Humungus

        You don’t want to be a giver and a taker?

        1. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

          Variety is the spice of life?

          1. BigT

            Are they the same sex at the same time, or at different times?

            Ultra-trans

  13. Lord Humungus

    Kimberly-Clark’s Venezuela Closing Broke Law, Maduro Says

    Kimberly-Clark Corp., the consumer-products giant that owns Kleenex and Huggies, violated Venezuela’s laws by suspending its operations in the South American country, President Nicolas Maduro said.

    “Forty-eight hours ago, without notice, a U.S. company called Kimberly-Clark, violating national laws and the constitution, fired almost 1,000 workers from its production plant, closed the door and left the country,” Maduro said on state television. He added that the government would support the workers now in control of the plant.

    Kimberly-Clark said it would shutter its Venezuela operations after years of grappling with soaring inflation and a shortage of hard currency and raw materials.

    The South American nation’s deteriorating economic situation had made “it impossible to continue our business at this time,” the company said in a statement Saturday.

    1. straffinrun

      Lack of protein in the country. Probably won’t miss the Kleenex.

    2. So send a policeman around to arrest it, then.

    3. But remember: Atlas Shrugged is completely unrealistic.

      1. CatoTheChipper

        And its characters are so wooden and one-dimensional.

    4. Rufus The Monocled

      “He added that the government would support the workers now in control of the plant….”

      Quote of the year finalist.

      1. Just a thought not a sermon

        Hey, without all those foreign managers around gettting in the way, production should soar.

    5. It’s against the law to stop pretending that economic realities aren’t real. It absolutely marvels me that there are still so many communists and socialists in the world.

      1. WTF

        Including right here in the USA.

  14. “We’re seeing more drug-resistant infections. And people will die.”

    IS THAT A THREAT?

    1. PUT THE NIH FUNDING ON THE TABLE, AND WALK AWAY!

      1. Oh, well done sir!
        -rises to applaud-

  15. Lord Humungus

    Nordic politicians are debating making school mandatory for senior citizens

    “To prepare ourselves for the future we need to think out of the box,” writes Nordic Council rapporteur Poul Nielson in Proposal 7 of a new report (pdf) about the future of work in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Aaland. His proposal outlines a plan for mandatory adult education and continuing education in the region, in order to stay competitive in the global market.

    A startling point in Nielson’s proposal is the word “mandatory.” He hopes to make continuous education compulsory for all, and to build it into the regular career cycle of Nordic workers.

    “The combination of rapid technological development with the gradual increase in retirement age increases the need for new forms of education,” the 73-year-old Danish politician explained to EU Observer:

    1. invisible furry hand

      Quite right – it’s not as if people rationally choose further education out of self-interest

    2. Rufus The Monocled

      I’m in my 40s and quiver with irritation at the thought of ever needing to study again. I considered going for a Masters but I then realized I wasn’t into it. That may change but it’s, you know, MY CALL TO MAKE.

      1. Just a thought not a sermon

        Your call to make? In your 40s? You’re barely old enough to decide whether you can smoke or not.

      2. Rich

        “Do you want another degree — or do you want a life?”

        1. Rufus The Monocled

          Right now, I kinda like being aloof and only responsible to my business and family. I don’t have to go beg for a better grade or make it to work on time or none of that stuff. My day is centered around ‘I really need to find Fist and slap him’ or should I go buy more ‘No more nails’.

          1. Rufus The Monocled

            ?

          2. Suthenboy

            “Right now, I kinda like being aloof and only responsible to my business and family.”

            Bingo. I have never been happier. I don’t have to answer to anyone and no one needs me to fix their shit.

          3. Look in the mirror and slap yourself because I am everyone and everyone is me.

            1. Citizen X

              Shut up, Tulpa!

      3. I’m in my 40s and quiver with irritation

        1. Lord Humungus

          +1 Just a Sweet Transvestite

        2. Rufus The Monocled

          AM I GONNA HAVE TO HIRE A PERSONAL EDITOR JUST TO PLEASE YOUR COLLECTIVE FETISH FOR PROPER GRAMMAR?

    3. Rufus The Monocled

      Take a glance at the article below the Nordic one on Brexit. Look at the chart on the EU disclosing poll results by Pew. Particularly the ‘unhappy on the handling of refugee’ part and if they’re happy with an ‘ever closer union’.

    4. Suthenboy

      I call bullshit on this. This mandatory education will be a trojan horse for re-education.

      1. In a civilized country, government thugs would be shot for trying to enforce this law.

    5. Brett L

      School really is state-run daycare.

  16. “We’re seeing more drug-resistant infections. And people will die.”

    COMMON SENSE ANTIBIOTIC CONTROL.

    1. Zeb

      This is one case where that probably is needed. If access to any drugs should be controlled, antibiotics are the ones.

      1. Lee Genes

        Dude, the CDC is too busy with bullying

        1. Zeb

          That must mean all of the dangerous communicable diseases have been dealt with. Great news!

        2. WTF

          “Bullying” is a communicable disease? Who knew?!

    2. Tonio

      But, yeah, that’s what they are calling for – rationing antibiotics. You can deliberately withold treatment which might do some good on the hopes that by letting that one person die that you might someday save someone else. Yep, perfect application of “bioethics.”

      This will, of course, lead to a black market in antibiotics. Rich people will continue to get treatments, and poor people will continue to die.

      1. Get a load of this guy bringing the realities of black markets into it.

  17. Lord Humungus

    ‘Terrorists’ smuggled into Europe with refugees, Merkel says

    Militant groups smuggled some of their members into Europe in the wave of migrants who have fled from Syria, German Chancellor Angela said on Monday.

    “In part, the refugee flow was even used to smuggle terrorists,” Merkel told a rally of her Christian Democrats in eastern Germany.

    More than 1 million migrants arrived in Germany last year, many of them Syrians.

    You know who else didn’t want to live like a refugee…

    1. WTF

      This is why America shouldn’t get all pants-shitty about bringing in “Syrian” refugees.

    2. Lee Genes

      That she is admitting it means it’s far worse than anyone thinks.

      1. Tonio

        ^This. Between that and the NYE groping coverup revelation it’s not looking good for her.

    3. lap83

      “smuggle terrorists”
      Interesting way of putting it, like the refugees are hiding terrorists in their suitcases.

    4. Tonio

      “In part, the refugee flow was even used to smuggle terrorists,” Merkel told a rally of her Christian Democrats in eastern Germany.

      Why, that can’t be. We were all loudly informed here that even asking if that were possible was the worst sort of paranoid, racist teabaggery.

    5. Elspeth Flashman

      Tom Petty?

    6. SugarFree

      Terrorists or “Terrorists”? Because one of those is just an improv troop.

    7. Rufus The Monocled

      No. Fucking. Shit.

      That weirdo should resign.

    8. straffinrun

      If you’re smuggling a terrorist, I think that would make you a terrorist.

      1. lap83

        the terrorism is coming from inside the refugees!

        1. straffinrun

          And the refugees are coming inside…

          1. The city center?

          2. lap83

            I know what you’re trying to say, and if those little boys were more tolerant it never would have happened!

    9. Merkel is so presceient. She should be reelected because of her profound powers of prognostication. Her sage wisdom can guide Germany through this demographic catastrophe that she totally didn’t cause or anything.

    10. Agent Cooper

      “Hoppla. Mein Fehler.”

      – Angela Merkel.

  18. Derp-o-Matic 5000

    Damn it, Iran! We had a deal! A historic deal!

    1. WTF

      You just don’t understand Obama’s 5-Dimensional chess strategery.

    2. Rich

      The Obama administration is brushing aside new German intelligence reports indicating that Iran has accelerated its efforts to procure key nuclear materials

      “Meh. It’s Merkel. What do you expect?”

  19. Rich

    A judge has given Hillary Clinton until Tuesday to reveal why she shouldn’t be forced to testify in a federal case about Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s double-dipping employment at the State Department.

    And I think you know what “double-dipping” refers to.

    Looking forward to the evening MSM coverage of this.

    1. Citizen X

      Something something mutton flaps?

      1. Something, something projectile vomiting.

        1. Citizen X

          My thoughts and prayers are with you.

      2. Emmerson Biggins

        Something about teabagging?

    2. WTF

      Looking forward to the evening MSM coverage of this.

      Black Lives Matter, you racisty racist!

    3. Tonio

      Looking forward to the evening MSM coverage of this.

      Sorry, wingnuts, but the media has more important things to cover than this non-issue. Don’t you know that there is an evil conspiracy of rich white guys to deny global warming?

      1. Rich

        Of course, I mean their non-coverage, because I have things to do during that time.

  20. Lord Humungus

    Life on the line in Venezuela as economic crisis worsens

    The people waiting for hours in front of the drugstore were dazed with heat and boredom when the gunmen arrived.

    The robbers demanded a cellphone from a 25-year-old in black shorts. Instead of handing it over, Junior Perez took off toward the entrance to the pharmacy. Eight shots rang out, and he fell face down.

    The dozens of shoppers in line were unmoved. They held their places as the gunmen went through Perez’s pockets. They watched as thick ribbons of blood ran from the young man’s head into the grooves of the tiled walkway. And when their turns came, each bought the two tubes of rationed toothpaste they were allowed.

    “These days, you have to put the line above everything,” said pharmacist Haide Mendoza, who was there that morning. “You make sure you get what you need, and you don’t feel sorry for anyone.”

    1. WTF

      Yeah, but that’s not “real” socialism!

      1. Juvenile Bluster

        Oh, Venezuela is fine. It’s just the American government and the wreckers and kulaks in the country that are destroying Chavez and Maduro’s socialist paradise.

      2. Tonio

        My derpbook feed is full of comments like WTF’s and JB’s. Except the people on derpbook are serious.

        1. Citizen X

          My thoughts and prayers are with you.

    2. PBR Streetgang

      Almost paradise

    3. Bernie 2016

      1. Suell

        Who needs more than two tubes of toothpaste?

    4. Yep, getting pretty close to the cannibalism stage.

    5. Agent Cooper

      “You make sure you get what you need, and you don’t feel sorry for anyone.”

      Libertarian Moment!

  21. Lord Humungus

    The Truth About Dumping Trump

    The truth is that the GOP may not win this year no matter what. But the truth is also that ditching Trump at least gives the GOP a fighting chance.

    To be sure, there will be some who are so disaffected by the GOP ditching Trump that they will walk away. That is absolutely true. Ditching Trump absolutely means there will be some people who just give up and go home. But the truth is also that many of Trump’s supporters are absolutely committed to stopping Hillary Clinton and they will not go home.

    Likewise, replacing Trump with a better candidate ensures the GOP does better with hispanic voters, black voters, women, and college educated white voters. The latter is a demographic that has never gone against the GOP, but is doing so this year.

    In short, while ditching Trump would mean a loss of some voters, that loss would be overwhelmed by the influx of voters of all demographics. In fact, the GOP would have the perfect winning message if its delegates beat Trump. The GOP dumped Trump and the Democrats clung to Clinton.

    I suspect the sigh of relief from the overwhelming number of voters that the GOP spared them a Trump nomination would generate lots of good will and also make the race exciting again.

    1. Derp-o-Matic 5000

      The truth is that the GOP may not win this year no matter what. But the truth is also that ditching Trump at least gives the GOP a fighting chance.

      Doubt it. Despite all the hand-wringing and advice from libtard journalists, it’s not like any of them would actually consider voting for or endorsing whoever the Republicans replaced Trump with. They’ll dutifully support Hillary and find some reason to call the new candidate Hitler. It always happens. Recall that McCain was the beloved maverick until he got the nomination; then he became Hitler. Same with moderate Romney; officially a hard-right neo-fascist 2012.

    2. Tonio

      Oh, my, the socons really are desperate.

    3. That's A Bingo!

      But the truth is also that ditching Trump at least gives the GOP a fighting chance.

      There was, what, 16 other candidates in the primary and Trump beat them all by a large margin. Clearly the voters want someone other than Trump.

      1. KDN

        IME, the non-GOP voters certainly do. I’m surrounded by people that would/should normally lean GOP, and when politics come up they simply shake their heads and change the subject.

        This is pretty clearly going to be a low turnout, low enthusiasm election. Moderates and independents aren’t going to bother showing up for either candidate.

    4. Suthenboy

      Trump whipped these idiots asses for a good reason. They should shut the fuck up and pay attention.

      1. WTF

        The GOP establishment would prefer that Hillary win rather than Trump.

        1. Indeed they would.

          And dumping Trump at the convention, I firmly believe, would lead to electoral disaster downballot.

          So, I say do it, GOPe! The only way to clear the field for a new party is for one of the existing ones to die.

  22. robc

    Weird things people do that I dont understand why:

    Backing into a parking space.

    From a very informal survey in work parking lot this morning about 15% of people do this. Why?

    I figure some of you weirdos are on here and can explain it. Its obviously easier to back out of a space than to back in, so why bother? Quick get away?

    I have no problem with people who do this, I just dont understand them.

    1. Lord Humungus

      There are a number of people at my job who do the same thing. I wouldn’t mind so much but many of them do such a crappy job that they end up over the lines. Parking spots are very limited here so it just eats up more space.

    2. Tonio

      Reduces chance of accidents and reduces the chance that you will be at fault should an accident occurs. Someone barrels into you when you’re backing into a parking spot – their fault. You are backing out of your space and have no visibility because the spots next to you are occupied by larger vehicles – you risk getting hit and it is quite likely to be as much your fault for “not looking.”

      Also, quick getaway.

      1. lap83

        I never thought of the fault angle before, but that makes sense. It can be annoying for people driving nearby when someone’s trying to back into a spot though.

    3. Juvenile Bluster

      Because the lines of cars at work are way too close together, and it’s easier to go out frontwards. It helps backing in significantly now that I have a car with a backup camera.

    4. saharvey

      It’s a habit I picked up in the army- we called it combat parking. Always have a way forward that is not blocked by any other vehical.

      Strangely enough, this was a requirement to park in the Chevron garage when I worked for them. The idea was that you are backing into a static situation (the parking spot) and pulling forward into the dynamic situation (the travel lane in front of spots).

      1. Tonio

        That last sentence is quite admirable.

      2. Yusef Adama

        That Was the old Aerojet Bomb factory, We were told to leave the keys in the ignition at all times as well

      3. Brett L

        Same on the construction site. Also, if you have a longer wheelbase, it is easier to pivot around the back wheels.

      4. Bingo. Its safer to back into a parking spot than into traffic.

    5. sarcasmic

      I always back into parking spaces. Well, not always. If I plan to load stuff into the back of the car then I don’t always back in because I don’t want the back of the car to be blocked. It is easier to pull out when facing forwards, especially when people park too close to the sides of the car. It is easier to see assholes whipping through the parking lot when you pull out forwards. And when you pull out forwards it is easier to get around that asshole who parked his 50ft long pickup truck opposite you, leaving very little room to turn.

      As far as which is easier, I don’t find backing in to be difficult at all. Heck, it easier than backing out because I can see what is going on.

    6. Zeb

      I have few coworkers who do that. I think that’s just what was drilled into them when they learned to drive.

      I don’t think backing out is necessarily easier than backing in, particularly if you always back in. If you are good at backing into tight spots, there is probably less danger of hitting another car or person backing in than backing out.

      But I think it’s mostly just how some people have always done it.

    7. Rufus The Monocled

      I do that from time to time. But I do it when there’s no one around; plus I’m a master parker. I used to back up truck vans into their slots perfectly during my exam. I missed my calling come to think of it: Valet driver.

      1. Me: “Rufus, follow that taxi!”

        Rufus: “Hold on you hoser. I’ve got maple syrup on my monocle.”

      2. Private Chipperbot

        I used to back up truck vans into their slots perfectly during my exam

        These euphemisms…

        1. Well, he is a master parker.

    8. The Last American Hero

      There is a locality around here that thinks it’s cool to back into a space near the empty part of the lot and turn the wheels all the way to one side. It might be acceptable if you were 17 and rolled in with an exotic or a classic. But when you do it in your dad’s Ford Ranger or Honda Civic, it looks dumb.

      1. KDN

        But what if your Honda Civic has stickers and a killer exhaust? Then is it cool?

    9. At least where I live, the cultural norm is for other drivers to speed by while honking rather than wait for you to exit a space, even if you were already half way out when they approached. Backing in makes pulling out safer because you have better visibility.

    10. Suthenboy

      Many of those did not back into the space, they drove in from an empty adjacent space. This is very convenient, especially in shitty parking lots that do not have slanted spaces.

    11. Roger the Shrubber

      When forced to park between 2 vehicles in a crowded parking lot, backing in my crew-cab F-150 is easier than head in parking.

    12. Juice

      About 50% of people do it here. It’s fucking annoying because when someone backs in, it’s this ordeal where they have to line up the car and everything. Takes three times as long. For what?

    13. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

      Combat Parking – as you say, the quick get-away.

      I’m in no hurry to get to work, but leaving is a whole other priority.

    14. pan fried wylie

      I always thought backing into a space was to make getting a jump start easier. On reflection, seems like a lot of effort for an uncommon contingency.

      /doesntdrive

      1. Lord at War

        Nah- My 71 VW bug had a rear engine. I went almost a year without a starter- all I looked for in a parking place was a gentle slope… push it two steps, drop it into 2nd gear, pop the clutch- see ya. (and ignore the snow in the glovebox!) lol

    15. Unreconstructed (Sans Flag)

      A bit late, but a lot of the oil & gas companies around here (Houston area) actually mandate parking head-out at all their facilities as a safety rule.

    16. BigT

      At work I park to face east in the summer and west in the winter. Seats are cooler at 5 pm when facing east in summer, warmer when facing west in winter. F what anyone thinks or says.

  23. Rich

    We’re seeing more drug-resistant infections. And people will die.”

    “But one thing’s sure. Inspector Clay is dead, murdered, and somebody’s responsible.”

  24. Lord Humungus

    Train crash horror claims at least 20 lives: Head-on smash in Italy is ‘our moment of tears’ says country’s PM

    Two trains have collided head-on in southern Italy, killing at least 20 people and injuring many more.

    They collided in an olive grove in countryside between Andria and Corato in the Puglia region, close to the so-called heel of Italy.

    The line has only a single track and it is thought the crash was due to either a signalling error or a mistake by one of the drivers, both of whom are thought to have been killed.

    A seven-year-old boy was rescued from the wreck of one of the trains and airlifted to hospital by helicopter.

    1. Lee Genes

      TRAAIIIIINNNNNNNNSSSSS

    2. SugarFree

      Were they at least on time?

      1. They were in Italy, not Germany.

        1. Tonio

          Actually, it was Mussolini who made that “trains running on time” promise. Of course, the trains continued to run on the schedule one would expect in Italy, only the trains were always reported as being on time.

        2. Zeb

          So they just lied and said they were on time.

          1. BigT

            You can keep your doctor.
            Check is in the mail.
            I never had sex with…

            1. Lord at War

              C’mon Big T… finish the joke in her mouth, or get the fuck out!

        3. SugarFree

          It was always a joke about Mussolini too.

          1. Zeb

            Well, now the joke has been thoroughly and repeatedly ruined.

  25. Rich

    SoCal man arrested after his dog tests positive for Meth

    Now, *that’s* “alerting”!

    1. Just a thought not a sermon

      “So that’s what happened to my stash!”

    2. invisible furry hand

      You stole my pipe and lighter and meth! BAD DOG!!!

  26. Lord Humungus

    Hillary Clinton’s Lead Over Trump Shrinks After Controversial Week: Poll

    Hillary Clinton’s lead over Donald Trump narrowed to 3 points this week after several days of controversy following FBI Director James Comey’s recommendation that no criminal charges be brought against the former secretary of state over her use of a private email server.

    While the developments are certainly good news for the Clinton campaign, Comey’s critical statement on Clinton’s handling of the matter was not positive. Clinton’s lead over Trump has deteriorated in the past couple weeks since her lead peaked two weeks ago.

    my gut feeling: polls are going to be all over the map this year.

    1. Chipwooder

      I think it’s hard to say what the true poll numbers should be due to the media painting support for Donald Trump as the moral equivalent to beating puppies to death with a claw hammer. A lot of people who may lean in his direction may be reluctant to say so, even to a stranger taking a poll.

    2. Domestic Dissident

      Obama’s vile ghetto brownshirts might actually accomplish the near-impossible and get Trump elected.

  27. Derp-o-Matic 5000

    OT: I think the RNC totally dropped the ball in not getting the band The Presidents of the United States of America to play at the convention. They could do “Cleveland Rocks” and a Trump-version of “Lump.”

    1. Derp-o-Matic 5000

      “Millions of Speeches”!

      Damn it, what a waste!

    2. SugarFree

      Translates super easy too, you barely have to change anything.

      Trump sat alone in a boggy marsh,
      totally emotionless except for his hat
      Mud flowed up into Trump’s pajamas
      He totally confused all the passing pihranas

      He’s Trump, He’s Trump
      He’s giving head
      He’s Trump, He’s Trump, He’s Trump
      He might be dead

      Trump lingered last in line for brains
      and the one He got was sorta rotten and insane
      Small things so sad that birds could land
      Is Trump fast asleep or rockin’ out with the band?

      He’s Trump, He’s Trump
      He’s giving head
      He’s Trump, He’s Trump, He’s Trump
      He might be dead

      Trump was limp and lonely and needed a shove
      Trump slipped on a kiss and tumbled into love
      He spent his twenties between the sheets
      Life limped along at sub-sonic speeds

      He’s Trump, He’s Trump
      He’s giving head
      He’s Trump, He’s Trump, He’s Trump
      He might be dead

      Is this Trump outta my head?
      I think so
      Is this Trump outta my head?
      I think so
      Is this Trump outta my head?
      I think so
      Is this Trump outta my head?

      1. invisible furry hand

        Meh, I wanna hear “The Ballad of Hat and Hair”

      2. sarcasmic

        Run, run, Forrest, run…

      3. Tonio

        Nice work, Sug. And branching out into lyrics – good.

        I’m this close to a breakthrough in Wartyvision, and Injun is standing by to direct.

        1. That was awesome. 🙂

          Not sure how I would be able to do any justice to SF’s work.

          1. Bobarian (Would Chip Her)

            There is no justice.

  28. straffinrun

    Finally watched The Big Short today. Enjoyed it, but not a word about the Fed’s suppressed int. rate policy. And it was pretty clearly implied that it was under regulation that caused the mania. Doubtful that 10001st reg would have done the trick.

    1. Lee Genes

      That’s disappointing but unsurprising.

    2. Domestic Dissident

      I read the book back when it first came out, and not surprisingly it too pretty much completely ignored any role that government policy played.

    3. Idle Hands

      Michael Lewis isn’t exactly a free market guy.

      1. straffinrun

        I get that, but how can a guy understand as much as he does and a dolt like myself knows that loose policy juices the market into bubbles?

        1. Lee Genes

          You could ask Krugman the same thing.

        2. Idle Hands

          Because markets are incredibly complicated and it’s easy to get stuck picking a boogeyman that confirms your preexisting biases rather than suggesting that their are multiple culprits and no easy solutions.

          1. Lee Genes

            It’s not hard to make a list.

            Low interest rates incentivizing mortgages
            Excess of global cash looking for “safe” investments with a return not provided by treasuries
            Ratings agencies in the pocket of the banks
            Government regs and the GSEs pushing loans to unqualified buyers
            Quantum physicists being employed to design derivative packages with unknowable risks
            Naked CDSs being sold at many multiples of the loans

            It was a freaking mess / perfect storm.

            1. Idle Hands

              That’s all fine and good but it makes for a mess of a movie.

              1. straffinrun

                Coming soon to a theater near you.

    4. Rufus The Monocled

      Saw it and came away with the same criticism.

      No wonder the idea the government can fuck things up isn’t embedded into the average psyche.

    5. Sort of on-topic. I recently heard a Free Thoughts podcast on Arnold Kling’s “Specialization and Trade: A Re-introduction to Economics”.

      One of the things they talked about was George Akerlof’s The Market for Lemons, which was criticized for not envisioning market solutions like Carfax. That papers apparently led to lemon laws throughout the country, the effectiveness of which is questionable.

  29. sarcasmic

    Fifty shades of bay! Dakota Johnson sizzles in barely-there lemon bikini as she joins Jamie Dornan and his wife Amelia Warner for a dip in the sea while filming in France

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvs…..rance.html
    Dang.

    1. Idle Hands

      I’m not saying I wouldn’t, but you could find a better looking women in a wide variety of bars across america on a random night. I would say most bars but that would probably be hyperbole.

      1. Idle Hands

        I’m not saying I wouldn’t, but you could find a better looking women in a wide variety of bars across america on a random night. I would say most bars but that would probably be hyperbole.

        1. SugarFree

          Is there an echo in here?

          1. Idle Hands

            I wanted to clarify my hypothesis that Dakota Johnson is maybe a generous 7/10 if you use a random sample size of bars in America(less if you are confined to LA).

            1. Yeah I’m with you there. I’m not a foot fetishist, but it’s a boner downer when a womans feet are deformed from wearing high heel shoes, which are the stupidest common piece of fashion I can think of.

      2. Domestic Dissident

        Truthfully, you’d think that Don Johnson and Melanie Griffith would produce a better offpsring. Oh well, genetics is something of a crapshoot.

      3. sarcasmic

        Where I’m at in Maine, she’s an eleven. Most of the women around here are fat and hairy. Damn French.

        1. Idle Hands

          that’s good to know.

        2. Most of the women around here are fat and hairy.

          Need a roommate?

        3. Lord Humungus

          John moving in?

  30. Rich

    Above the law? Hillary’s huge scandal list explodes to 25

    Of course, it’s WND so you can’t believe a word of it.

    1. WTF

      25 PHAKE SKANDULZ!!!11!!!!!!!

      1. The conspiracy, it is vast.

  31. Elspeth Flashman

    Not sure if this was covered already: Berrien County dude was in handcuffs, got gun from a bailiff, was thought to be “non violent” from previous behavior. So just a “normal” shooting from a guy who probably didn’t like where his case was heading (kidnapping, sex assault).

    http://www.wzzm13.com/news/cri…../270589187

    1. Zeb

      You’d think that they’d have better holsters.

  32. sarcasmic

    Officers claim they saw butt of a gun in Alton Sterling’s pocket while trying to restrain him and then saw him reach for it before shooting him dead, affidavit reveals

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new…..-says.html

    Liars gonna lie. Even the commenters are starting to figure that out.

    1. Tonio

      An isolated incident, I’m sure.

    2. SugarFree

      In case you missed this charming exchange.

      1. To be fair, he did clarify that “fight with the po-po, you’re gonna get killed” was meant to be descriptive, not normative.

  33. Requests soaring this year for handgun permits in region Alternate title: upstate New York mouth breathers arm ready themselves for race war.

    More than 4,800 people in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties sought handgun permits in the first six months of this year, a demand surge that more than doubles last year’s application pace and follows a string of mass shootings in the U.S. that may have helped fuel the local trend.

    He said people seeking gun permits lately are concerned not only about their own safety but about protecting people around them in the event of an attack.
    “I think people are waking up to the fact that criminals have guns, and are always going to have guns,” McGovern said.

    I like it.

    One effect of the increase permit demand has been longer wait times.
    In Ulster County, it now takes as long as 10 months to complete the multi-stage process, which culminates in a judge’s review.
    In Orange County, even with the Sheriff’s Office processing applications seven days a week, the backup is so severe that applicants calling today to get fingerprinted won’t get an appointment until October.

    Oh, New York.

    1. Chipwooder

      Somewhat related – anyone ever have this argument made to them? “But having random people with guns at a mass shooting will only make it more dangerous because they could accidently shoot a bystander!”

      What the living fuck is that about? In what possible way is that more dangerous than a maniac slaughtering people completely unopposed?

      1. *sigh*

        “Guns are safe” is a myth promulgated by the NRA.

    2. In Orange County, even with the Sheriff’s Office processing applications seven days a week,

      One application a day is still “processing applications”.

  34. Lord Humungus

    TW: Breitbart

    Obama to Police: ‘I’m Your Best Hope’

    President Barack Obama told a gathering of law enforcement officials on Monday that he was critical to their efforts to reconcile with the black community: “I’m your best hope,” he declared, according to a police official quoted by the Washington Post.

    The gathering took place as Obama prepares to visit Dallas, where five police officers were murdered Thursday at a Black Lives Matter protest. Obama has spoken out in defense of law enforcement, but has also echoed criticisms of racial disparities in policing.

    1. Lee Genes

      He never fails to live up to his reputation of arrogance.

    2. Rufus The Monocled

      Not a leader.

      Clown maybe.

      But not a leader.

    3. Domestic Dissident

      Nice threat. This guy makes Michael Corleone look like a piker.

    4. Raven Nation

      But the crease in his pants still looks sharp.

    5. TOP. MEN.

      Obama: “I’m your best hope.”

      Trump: “I will give you everything.”

      1. Lee Genes

        Clinton: “Accountability is for little people”

        1. Clinton: “Accountability is for cis hetero men.”

    6. “I’m your best hope,” he declared

      Not that it matters, really, the inevitable public commentary on regional incidents by the president is nauseating even when it’s done well; but his public statement after the Dallas shooting was so pro forma and milquetoast that it almost seems like his staffers had hidden his golf bag until he agreed to stand in front of the teleprompter.

  35. Probably re-posting: Billionaire Charles Koch: Trump-Hillary Is Like Voting ‘Cancer Or Heart Attack

    “I see two people that as of this point we’re not supporting,” Koch said on Monday at the Fortune Brainstorm Tech conference. “Are you going to put a gun to my head? If I had to vote for cancer or heart attack why would I vote for either?”

    Koch took some digs at Trump, saying “I’m sure he’s a fine fellow underneath,” but that Trump’s “guiding principles are antithetical” to those Koch advocates for?especially on free trade. The presumptive Republican nominee and billionaire in his own right has harshly criticized free trade policies that he says have caused American jobs to go overseas. Koch called Trump’s plans for increased tariffs “a monstrosity.”

    Charles “Cuck” Koch signaling fellow Cosmotarians. smdh.

    1. Idle Hands

      This is just a ruse to throw us off the Kochtopus’s scent. They’ve bought and paid for both candidates.

    2. lap83

      which is which? I say Trump is the heart attack and Hillary is cancer

    3. Arizona_Guy

      But, but, they buy elections, or something….

      /progderp

  36. Don Escaped Texas

    Have I missed the outrage over the American League here?

    The NL is the true market: teams deciding how terrible a batter they will accept as catcher, pitcher, or shortstop. Utilization curves everywhere, a market of talent, and everyone deciding what they need.

    The AL is corrupt: those unable to perform in the market are replaced by designated hitters; it’s a sort of subsidy, a transfer payment to pitchers.

    The beauty of the game is a simple pardigm: if thou wouldst bat, thou must field; if thou wouldst field, thous must bat. Otherwise, why not have a dozen guys who can handle the chores of the offense and another dozen guys who handle the chores of the defense….which, BTW, is football.

    When you start creating loopholes and exceptions and propping up the noncompetitive, the beauty evaporates with the structure.

    1. robc

      I wore myself out on it 30 years ago.

      You are absolutely right but “I dont want to see someone flail about” idiots have won.

      1. Derp-o-Matic 5000

        The solution to “not flailing about” is to get better at hitting, damn it.

      2. KDN

        “I dont want to see someone flail about” idiots have won.

        It’s not like the teams have had any say in the manner or anything. Owners and GMs don’t want want to expose their $100m investments to the unnecessary risks that hitting and baserunning represent just to satisfy some fans’ need for logical consistency. Couple that with trends at developmental levels and in MLB bullpen use, and the NL is bound to get the DH in 5-10 years.

        Also, from an entertainment standpoint, the opportunity for more dingers is usually going to outweigh watching some mope get struck out while providing minimal effort towards his assigned task. Unless the pitcher is unusually good at hitting or entertainingly bad, nobody bothers to even watch his at bat. It’s a wasted slot.

    2. Derp-o-Matic 5000

      Everyone knows the DH is a terrible rule and should be abolished. That’s been conclusively determined for decades.

    3. KDN

      This and Bartolo Colon’s continuing career are the best arguments for the continuation of the abhorrence that is pitchers being forced to hit (yes, forced: most would much rather not).

      I would like to see the DH use expanded: if you have a Bumgarner or similarly competent hitter as pitcher on a given day you should be permitted to use your DH on your all-glove shortstop or any other positions with the same caveats that normally apply to the pitcher.

      1. Private Chipperbot

        I’m nearly positive you can DH for any position player you want. Unless MLB has a different rule than all other baseball about it.

        1. Greg Loves His Woodchipper

          I’m pretty sure that in MLB the DH is only allowed to hit for the pitcher, although I haven’t read the specific rule in close to a year.

      2. Greg Loves His Woodchipper

        If you’ve got an everyday position player that you want to sit down so a guy with a career OBP of .225 (even over the past 3 “good” seasons he’s only put up .266) can have at it then you probably need to just make a trade of any kind and replace that guy.

    4. There are fifteen teams in the national league, which presents fifteen more opportunities for older players to continue their careers – and make a fuckton of money – by dh’ing.

      1. Or have careers.

      2. KDN

        This, too.

    5. Idle Hands

      I personally like the DH, it’s easier for me to pick a team to root against in the World Series. Good VS Evil.

      1. Idle Hands

        Even if good happen’s to be the Cardinals, Giants or Mets, shudder.

        1. Brett L

          I guess you don’t ever have to worry about the Cubs, eh?

    6. Chipwooder

      Watching pitchers hit is like watching old people fuck. I derive no entertainment from three pitch strikeouts and weak tappers back to the mound.

  37. Lee Genes

    You all knew it was coming.

    Obama calls for adding public option to ObamaCare

    President Obama is calling on Congress to add a “public option” to ObamaCare to improve his signature health law.

    The pitch from Obama comes after he abandoned pursuit of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers during the long legislative battle over healthcare because of opposition from some Democrats in Congress.

    “Public programs like Medicare often deliver care more cost-effectively by curtailing administrative overhead and securing better prices from providers,” Obama writes in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

    “The public plan did not make it into the final legislation. Now, based on experience with the ACA, I think Congress should revisit a public plan to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited,” writes the president.

    1. to compete alongside private insurers in areas of the country where competition is limited

      If only there was another way!

    2. Juvenile Bluster

      So they didn’t get one when the Democrats had control of the House and a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and he’s bringing it up again now. Nobody should see this as anything more than naked political pandering. Of course, many will.

      1. The fundamental tenet of progressivism is incrementalism.

        There won’t be a Joe Lieberman next time around to block it.

        With Trump, who knows what sort of down ballot impact there will be. Once you get one-party Democrat rule, expect a whole lot more government.

    3. The Public “Option”

      The “Option” to kill all real options.

    4. Derp-o-Matic 5000

      So when should we receiving an apology from all those commentators who accused of racism and paranoia any Republicans and conservative Democrats (a now extinct breed, I know) who claimed Obamacare was just a step to this?

    5. “Public programs like Medicare often deliver care more cost-effectively by curtailing administrative overhead and securing better prices from providers,”

      Because if there is one advantage that government bureaucracy has over private enterprise, it’s low administrative cots and overall better cost effectiveness. Best president ever.

  38. July 12 festivities in Belfast – so far no riots, but a couple of houses were destroyed and one house damaged by flames from celeratory bonfires.

    1. Lord Humungus

      You know who else liked celebratory bonfires…

      1. Derp-o-Matic 5000

        Tom Wolfe?

      2. Elspeth Flashman

        vikings?

      3. Nelson Mandela?

        1. You’re thinking of his wife.

          1. I wouldn’t be so quick to assume Mandela had no part in that or wasn’t doing it himself. He was a Marxist terrorist, founded the armed wing of the ANC which was directly responsible for a spate of killings that targeted white civilians. He abandoned a landmine campaign in an area known for it’s white owned farms after it was clear that they were killing more blacks than whites.

            Fuck Mandela.

      4. Private Chipperbot

        MSU Spartans.

      5. Chipwooder

        Mountaineer fans?

        But only with couches.

      6. bacon-magic

        Melisandre?

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