A.M. Links: Matt Lauer Says He's 'Soul Searching' After Being Fired for Sexual Misconduct, British Ambassador Blasts Trump for Anti-Muslim Tweets

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  Gage Skidmore / Flickr.com

  "Britain's ambassador to the United States has conveyed the government's concerns to the White House over Donald Trump's promotion on Twitter of material created by far right group Britain First."

• Matt Lauer says that he is "sorry" and that he is "soul searching" after being fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct.
• Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.
• A fifth woman has accused Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct.
• Senate Republicans remain divided over the GOP tax plan.
• Investigators working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller have reportedly interviewed Jared Kushner about the meeting between Kushner, Michael T. Flynn, and Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak.

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Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Britain's ambassador to the United States has conveyed the government's concerns to the White House over Donald Trump's promotion on Twitter of material created by far right group Britain First."

Conveyed via tweet, I hope.

[Rufus The Monocled]

"Matt Lauer says that he is "sorry" and that he is "soul searching" after being fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct."

Don't you need to have something in the first place in order to find it?

[Incomprehensible Bitching]

He's sure it's in there, somewhere.

[TW]

Maybe he left it in his other pair of pants.

[DJF]

So its OK to bomb Muslims but you better not tweet about them!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Matt Lauer says that he is "sorry" and that he is "soul searching" after being fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Go to rehab, dummy.

[John C. Randolph]

I think he'd be better off to just STFU. He's got shitloads of money, and in about a year nobody will even remember who the fuck he was. He can quietly retire to Thailand and get laid a dozen times a day until his hip joints give out.

-jcr

[Crusty Juggler]

Do you think he invite a woman into his office and then unzip to show dong, or do you think the dong was already out before the women would even enter? I think the latter is more alpha.

[Rich]

Well, in any event he apparently stepped on it.

[Crusty Juggler]

No wonder he sent that woman to the hospital.

[Citizen X - #6]

It also adds a layer of plausible deniability. If the hog is always presumed to be a-dangle, it makes it difficult to prove intent in a given incident.

[BestUsedCarSales]

This will be the basis of his Oprah Revival. Poor man was just trying to air his genitals, we can all admit we do this. When these horrible scorpion women kept walking in unannounced. Using their eye beams to make the dick super hard.

Alas! Matt Lauer!

[Rat on a train]

Priapism is a serious medical condition. How dare they discriminate.

[Gaear Grimsrud]

To be fair, I think this happened while we were all in mourning for Harambe so she may have misinterpreted his intentions.

[Mike Laursen]

I do wonder, with the sheer number of men in the TV and movie industries getting fired, if a bunch of them will just band together and form their own companies,where they won't get fired.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.

GOD BLESS THAT MAN.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A fifth woman has accused Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct.

The gays are lining them up against Franken, too?

[Necron 99]

Yes, but not a straight line.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Senate Republicans remain divided over the GOP tax plan.

It will take an act of Congress for Trump to finally lose at something!

[Rich]

Lauer on Thursday broke his silence on the mounting sexual misconduct allegations against him

*Mounting* allegations?! Not just *groping*?

[Citizen X - #6]

Matt Lauer says that he is "sorry" and that he is "soul searching" after being fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct.

Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.

A fifth woman has accused Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct.

Okay, so who is Al Franken blaming?

[Hank Stamper]

Addiction to opioids? Do a forgiveness tour and then sponsor tough legislation that fucks others over people suffering from pain, then back to cocktail parties and chasing skirts.

[Conchfritters]

Garrison Keillor?

[John C. Randolph]

That one really surprised me. I would have though Keillor was too much of a nebbish to ever try to get laid.

-jcr

[Rich]

"Heavens, they're tasty!"

[lap83]

I know someone who interviewed hi. for a local radio station and said he was a dick to everyone. So I wasn't terribly surprised

[lap83]

him*

[KDN]

This is the reason why I actually believe his explanation for the incident in question. It's the sort of thing that reeks of an opportunistic plaintiff's lawyer.

While I am perfectly willing to engage in schadenfreude over his fate, it does seem awfully unfair to lump him in with the others.

[Crusty Juggler]

it does seem awfully unfair to lump him in with the others.

Much like the lump in his flannel gray trousers was unfair to all who brushed against it.

[John]

It is. Even if you believe this, and as you say there are good reasons not to, Keiller should not be lumped in with Lauer who seems to be a serial deviant.

[John]

Keillor has long been known to be a pretty awful person in private. So, it didn't really surprise me.

[Conchfritters]

This is Minnesota - we grope to stay warm. It's a survival tactic. Most of the women here are descendants of reindeer herders and understand.

[John]

+1 it's not gay if the furnace is broken.

[Rat on a train]

Minnesota nice also makes it difficult to tell when you cross the line.

[CatoTheChipper]

Not surprised at all.

You gotta keep in mind that the public persona and the narrative of pretty much everybody in entertainment and politics is a fiction that has been contrived by either the principal or his PR agents.

[Aloysious]

Okay, so who is Al Franken blaming?

Hotentots.

[lap83]

"Matt Lauer says he is 'soul searching'"

Eww, does it never end with these creeps?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Such men dare take what they want.

[Rich]

"Hey, Baby, can I search your *soul*?" *** wink-wink-nudge-nudge ***

[Citizen X - #6]

Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.

He finally retained John as counsel, huh.

[KDN]

I don't see any mention of Muslims or Mexicans.

[Holmes IV]

It was implied.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Investigators working for Special Counsel Robert Mueller have reportedly interviewed Jared Kushner about the meeting between Kushner, Michael T. Flynn, and Russian Ambassador Sergey I. Kislyak.

You know who else went after Jews and Russians?

[Rich]

The ancient Romans?

[Hank Stamper]

Soviets?

[Rich]

Robert Mueller?

[John C. Randolph]

Hillary Clinton?

[loveconstitution1789]

Jews and Russians?

[Citizen X - #6]

The Alans in Khazaria, at the behest of the Byzantine Empire?

[Citizen X - #6]

Hack comedians in the '80s?

[Crusty Juggler]

What a country!

[loveconstitution1789]

Joseph Stalin?

[AlmightyJB]

Me. Just the hot women though.

[lap83]

Al Qaeda?

[Vernon Depner]

HUAC?

[Holmes IV]

McCarthy?

[Rich]

Matt Lauer says that he is "sorry" and that he is "soul searching" after being fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct

Yep. Nobody ever does this.

[loveconstitution1789]

Senate Republicans remain divided over the GOP tax plan.
Says the lefty media who does not want this tax reform to pass in the Senate.

[Rich]

Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.

It's that LLGBTS crowd!

[John]

The Democrat crazies have their reps in Congress. If they get to have Maxin Waters and Bernie Sanders, why can't the Republican crazies get their rep too? Crazies deserve representation too.

[KDN]

Look, if Moore were running to be a Congressman from Dogdick, AL then nobody would bat an eye about his insanity or his past. But Senators are supposed to have dignity, dammit. Teddy Kennedy might have killed his mistress, but he was eloquent and highbrow. Moore is just a dancing monkey in a hee haw outfit, and that's the greatest reason for him not to be allowed in.

[John]

I pretty sure the dignity of the Senate went out with Nixon, or more likely with the change to electing them by popular vote.

One of these days people are going to realize that the courtly manners and dignity of Washington are nothing but a way to ensure the right, libertarian and socon alike, are a neutered opposition. The left are masters at using the control of language as a means of controlling thought and what is acceptable for debate. Slowly but surely one conservative and libertarian position after another has been declared impolite and thus illegitimate by the terms of the courtly manners of Washington. The only way the right is ever going to start winning against the left is to stop playing by those rules. Understand, the left only plays by them when it suits their purposes. The same people who slander conservatives for even the most imagined racial slight will turn right around and draw cartoons showing Clearance Thomas with giant lips eating a watermelon.

This is not to say that there could not be good reasons for not wanting Moore in the Senate. It is just that his breaking of the courtly rules is not one of them.

[KDN]

or more likely with the change to electing them by popular vote.

Stealthily the worst of all amendments (exclluding prohibition since it's not in effect).

This is not to say that there could not be good reasons for not wanting Moore in the Senate. It is just that his breaking of the courtly rules is not one of them.

I agree with the gist of your argument, but an intellectually shallow, bible-thumping (possibly reformed) pedophile is not a good change agent in this respect. If you want to expand the bounds of respectable discourse then you don't want a walking embarrassment at the vanguard of that effort.

[John]

As they say, you go to war with the Army you have. The reality is that however crazy and stupid Moore is, his actual votes are going to be by any measure better than Jones' votes will be. Would I prefer those votes come from someone other than Moore? Absolutely. But sadly, that isn't an option.

I really don't care about feeling good about the politicians I support or whether I think I would want to be friends with them. I view them as hired help. And Moore for all his faults is still better than Jones and will not do any real damage and likely will provide a vote for some good things that Jones would not. For me, it is really that simple. I do not think the country should suffer so that Roy Moore can be punished for what he may or may not have done 40 years ago or partisans like the idiots at National Review can feel smug about only supporting the good guys.

[KDN]

The ideal scenario is a Moore win followed by a quick resignation, but once vindicated by victory that option is off the table.

And Moore for all his faults is still better than Jones and will not do any real damage and likely will provide a vote for some good things that Jones would not. For me, it is really that simple.
...
partisans like the idiots at National Review

You do realize that, by your own admission, you're the one engaging in blind partisanship and critiquing NR for nor doing so? NR are ideologues, their lack of partisanship is a feature.

[John]

No I am not engaging in blind partisanship. I am engaging in politics. Politics is about results. It is not about feeling good about yourself. I hope Moore wins because I think his actual votes in the Senate will be better for the country than Jones' votes.

The people who are rejecting Moore even though they agree that his votes will be better are the partisans, not me. I am looking at it from the perspective of which result would be better for the country. That is not partisan. That is politics. They are looking at it from the perspective of which result would make them feel good about themselves and support other social values that have nothing to do with politics. To them, politics is some game where the point is to feel good about yourself. If the country has to suffer for that, well too bad. That is pure tribalism and partisanship. it is just being picky about who you want in your tribe. But it is tribalism because the impulse that is driving it is the desire to be associated only with those you find agreeable and not on any desire to accomplish anything.

[$park? leftist poser]

No I am not engaging in blind partisanship. I am engaging in politics. Politics is about results. It is not about feeling good about yourself. I hope Moore wins because I think his actual votes in the Senate will be better for the country than Jones' votes.

Circular argument is circular.

[John]

It is not circular at all. I vote based on my interests and the results I want. If Roy Moore said anti second Amendment, I wouldn't vote for him or want him to win, I don't care what party he was in or how wonderful of a guy he is.

I don't care about what party the guy is in and I do not care about whether the guy is someone I would want to know or even like. I care about what positions they hold versus their opponents. That is not being partisan.

What is being partisan is judging someone based on characteristics that have nothing to do with the job they are running for. Partisans don't think in terms of results. They think in terms of what makes them feel good. Politics is sports for them. So, things like "character" are all that matters to them. Roy Moore could be a total sell out who single purpose in life was concern trolling for the left, and partisans would think he was great so long as he was a Republican and had the kind of "Character" that makes them feel good about supporting him.

[KDN]

It's a hacky technique, but:

partisan, noun
1. an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.

Preferring an outcome simply because it advances your agenda is textbook partisanship, though I may have erred in calling it blind since you're totally aware that it's why you're doing it. I don't why you have such a hangup about calling this spade a spade, though.

The exclusion of politicians with character flaws has long been a principle of movement conservatives. That the would-be gatekeepers of the ideology would react the way the have with Moore is entirely expected and fully in keeping with their professed principles. It is definitionally neither partisan nor tribal (the latter would be supporting Moore simply because he claims to be a conservative).

[John]

1. an adherent or supporter of a person, group, party, or cause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.

Your definition supports what I am saying. I am not adhering to the person group or party. I don't care about Moore personally. And I don't particularly care about the Republicans. I care about the party because the alternatives have become so loathsome. If there were another party that represented my interests better and had a chance to win, I would happily watch the Republicans die. And I am not adhering to any particular cause. I am just expressing my revealed preference in an election. I can only support one candidate and no candidate is going to fit all of my preferences. So I necessarily have to choose which preferences are the most important.

[KDN]

No, it doesn't. Moore going down does not advance conservatism as an ideology or the Republican party's interests. Self-professed adherents of these things coming out against a candidate which would advance those interests may not be smart, but it is certainly less partisan and less tribal than your own preference.

[John]

How is it less partisan? By your definition anyone who votes based on their interests and what they feel is for the best of the country is a Partisan. Meanwhile, people who ignore those things and vote on emotional things like "who is the best person" are not. What the hell kind of sense does that make?

How do you think people should vote? I say they should vote based on their own interests and what they think is best for the country given the options available. What do you think? And if my answer is "partisan" and thus somehow irrational or emotional, how is yours not?

[John]

But the biggest reason why your definitions support what I am saying is the last clause, especially a person who shows a biased, emotional allegiance.. There is nothing emotional about what I am saying. I am making a cold calculation of what I think is best for the country. What is emotional is the people who say they can't vote for Moore because they don't like him and don't feel good about being associated with him even though they know that his actual votes as a Senator would be better for the country by their standards. That is being partisan. What I am saying is vote based on your own self-interests, whatever those are, not your emotional desire to feel like you are on the side of good or have right upstanding people in office no matter what the cost to the country.

[John]

KDN

Suppose everything that is said about Moore is true. Then take politics out of it and imagine he is otherwise your ideal candidate whom you agree with on every important issue and his opponent the opposite. If both of these things were true, why should you vote for someone whose policies and votes in the Senate are going to be completely opposite of your interests and not Moore, someone whose votes and actions in office can be reliably said to be in accordance with your interests, over something Moore did 40 years ago no matter how hideous?

Now if you think Moore is likely to do such things once in office, then maybe you say no figuring that you can't risk the problems created by him doing that. But, even if you believe everything said against him, he hasn't done any such thing in over 40 years. So, there is little reason to believe he will somehow regress if he is elected to the Senate.

So, why refuse to vote for him? He has never been convicted of a crime. He is in no danger of being prosecuted for anything. What principle are you upholding by voting for him other than "I want politicians that I can be proud of supporting more than I want politicians who will do what is right for the country"?

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

Clearance. I missed you.

[Citizen X - #6]

Clearance Thomas is an amazing johno.

[CatoTheChipper]

The dignity of the Senate is nothing but a facade, and whatever genuine dignity was there went out way before Nixon.

John is absolutely correct about how the facade exists to neutralize opposition to the ruling elite.

[Griffin3]

I predict Moore by 7%.

[loveconstitution1789]

You'll never know because the instant that the lefty media realizes that Moore has won the election, they left will move on to the next target.

[JWatts]

No, they'll use the win percentage, whatever the number to point out how hypocritical and crazy those red state voters are.

[Fist of Etiquette]

"Britain's ambassador to the United States has conveyed the government's concerns to the White House over Donald Trump's promotion on Twitter of material created by far right group Britain First."

First you're upset at a president ditching Churchill busts, now you're upset a president is following Brits on Twitter. MAKE UP YOUR LIMEY MINDS.

[Rufus The Monocled]

"Britain's ambassador to the United States has conveyed the government's concerns to the White House over Donald Trump's promotion on Twitter of material created by far right group Britain First."

Know what Trump needs to do? Have the 'alt-right' organize and give the middle finger to Britain and remind them about FREEDOM AND LIBERTY.

[Hank Stamper]

He should bomb British Parliament. Finally get back at those tea sippers for burning down our capitol.

Never Forget 8-24-14

[DJF]

He should thank the British for their first effort, but complain that they never came back to do it again.

Look what Washington has become today.

[Atlas Slugged]

You realize they did it as retaliation for American forces burning York (modern day Toronto)?

[Rich]

Britain's ambassador to the United States has conveyed the government's concerns to the White House over Donald Trump's promotion on Twitter of material created by far right group Britain First.

Well, I'm sure Trump would gladly retweet any anti-Muslim material the ambassador cares to offer up.

[Think It Through]

Sarah Huckabee Sanders' "it doesn't matter if the videos are true, there's an underlying problem" is exactly the same as campus liberal activists' "it doesn't matter if any particular campus sexual assault or race story is true, there's an underlying problem," which conservatives have always (rightly) criticized. The intellectual shallowness would be shocking, if it didn't keep happening. Therefore no longer shocking.

[Rich]

"I learned it from Al Sharpton!"

[Conchfritters]

Did Trump tweet a video of Freddy's Fashion Mart?

[creech]

I thought her boss was against "fake news?" Spin is one thing, but can't any pol ever tell the truth without making shit up?

[John]

It does matter if the videos are true. If they are not, however, that does not mean there isn't an underlying problem. You can lie in furtherance of a truthful point. She is not just intellectually shallow. She seems not to understand her own point.

[$park? leftist poser]

You can lie in furtherance of a truthful point.

Fake but accurate is totes bae.

[John]

No. Not fake but accurate. And saying you can do it doesn't mean it is right. It just means you can do it. What I am talking about is framing a guilty man. Even if those videos are fake, that doesn't mean the types of things that are portrayed in them don't actually occur. They might not. But the fact that there are fake videos doesn't say one way or another if such things actually occur.

It is a simple concept Sparky. I am surprised you can't seem to grasp it.

[$park? leftist poser]

Oh, John. You're such a scrappy little bulldog.

[John]

I value precision of thought.

[John]

I could make a fake video showing the Patriots winning the Super Bowl last February. The fact that my video is fake doesn't mean the Patriots didn't actually win the Super Bowl. That is all I am saying.

[Citizen X - #6]

You can ask the LAPD how well that worked out, the time they were caught trying to frame O.J. Simpson for a crime he totally committed.

[John]

Again, saying its possible is not the same thing as saying you should do it.

[Rebel Scum]

"Britain's ambassador to the United States has conveyed the government's concerns to the White House over Donald Trump's promotion on Twitter of material created by far right group Britain First."

We stopped caring what the Redcoats think in the late 18th century.

[Juice]

Meh, early 19th.

[Rebel Scum]

Matt Lauer says that he is "sorry" and that he is "soul searching" after being fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct.

By "soul searching" he means "lawyering up".

[Rich]

By "sorry" he means "angry at courageous women".

[Longtobefree]

Be assured that a walk through the seas of most souls would scarcely get your feet wet

[Rebel Scum]

Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.

I, for one, am enjoying the new discourse in American politics.

[Citizen X - #6]

Charges dropped against Norfolk woman accused of trying to record bullying at daughter's school

There was sufficient evidence to go forward, but prosecutors declined to do so after reviewing the facts and circumstances of the case, spokeswoman Amanda Howie said in a written statement.

Translation: "we didn't think anyone would call us out on this."

[Juice]

The whole thing was a lesson in irony.

[Crusty Juggler]

My guess: Gillespie has a similar button on his desk to lock his office door, but he doesn't use his for sexual purposes, he uses it to watch The Rockford Files in millennial hipster-doofus-free peace.

[John]

It is the only time he can wear his John Deer hat. Everyone needs their alone time.

[Citizen X - #6]

He'll also bliss out to the sounds of his favorite album, Bob Dylan's Entire Discography.

[Crusty Juggler]

"Hey Nick, we are ordering from that new Somali place again, and we are sending the intern to get a bacon infused IPA...you in?"

*sigh*

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

I'll infuse that for him.
*unzips*

[John]

I thought Nick was a Lou Reed man. Nick strikes me as the kind of guy who owns every Dylan album and proudly displays them but never actually listens to any of them.

[Citizen X - #6]

In their AMA the other day he listed "every Bob Dylan album" as one of his top 3 albums.

[Crusty Juggler]

Even the Jesusy ones?!?!?!?!?!?

[John]

Actually, the Jesusy ones are some of his best. Slow Train Coming is in any top five best Dylan records list. It is more like the weirder ones from the early 70s like Self Portrait (I defy anyone who claims they listen to that entire album more than once) or all the ones he did in the 80s and 90s. Actually, Dylan had a rebirth in the late 90s and did some of his best music. Time Out of Mind and Modern Times are both great records. And "I Used to Care (But Things Have Changed) that was on the Wonder Boys soundtrack is in my opinion at least one of the best songs he has ever done.

For all the good, even if you like him you have to admit he has done a lot of lousy music. And the strange thing about it is that he released all this crap music over the years and then in the 1990s released his bootleg records and there were all these great songs like "Blind Willie McTell" and "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" that he recorded then never released. It is almost like he really does hate his fans and wants to see just how bad of crap he can release and still have them buy it.

[Conchfritters]

Self Portrait has a few gems. Desire, however, is a masterpiece.

[John]

Desire is really good. You can tell a record is great when it has songs that no one ever listens to but if they were on a normal record would be the highlight. A song like Sara or Black Diamond Boy are fantastic but are pretty much forgotten because everyone remembers Hurricane.

[Crusty Juggler]

Add Conchfritters and John (!?!?!?!?!?!?!?) to the list of Cosmo scum.

[John]

Does like Dylan make you a Cosmo? Who knew. I figured Dylan was a bit too old and unhip for Cosmos. I always think of Cosmos having no idea who Dylan is and spending their time overpraising Beyonce and Jay Z while listening to early 80s punk on 45s.

[Conchfritters]

I personally like the ode to Crazy Joe Gallo, even if he was a scum bag who started a war. It doesn't hurt the Emmy Lou Harris sings backup vocals for pretty much the whole album.

[Rebel Scum]

Senate Republicans remain divided over the GOP tax plan.

I suppose we can trust that they will not pass legislation in the dead of night with zero support/votes from the opposing party. Also, I expect McCain to torpedo this like the ACA repeal.

[John]

I love how the same people on the Right who wax poetic about the importance of character never say a damn thing about McCain. The guy runs for re-election and lies to his constituents about his desire to repeal Obamacare knowing all the while he would never vote to do it and then of course once safely elected for what amounts to life sticks it to his constituents by being the deciding vote against killing it, yet he has good character because he nearly blew up and aircraft carrier and managed to get shot down over North Vietnam.

[loveconstitution1789]

That's how he got his handle "Maverick".

Not because he voted for what Americans wanted but because he was an excellent propaganda tool for the North Vietnamese. They had themselves an Admiral's son.

[Sevo]

"Gov. Brown tells environmentalists in SF to 'live lean and lightly'"
[...]
"Technology alone isn't going to be enough to save the world from the very real dangers of climate change, Gov. Jerry Brown told an audience of environmentalists in San Francisco on Wednesday night.
People need "to live lean and lightly on the planet," he said. "They need to think how they live and what's important," and that will be a profound shift in the world.
[...]
While Brown has long been an evangelist..."
http://www.sfchronicle.com/sci.....394067.php

They got the last part right, but moonbeam can stuff his hair shirts up his butt.

[Sevo]

"A fifth woman has accused Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct."

But he said he's sorry, so let's 'move on', right?

[John]

He absolutely apologizes for this incident which he doesn't remember happening or if he does he remembers it differently. What else do you people want from the man?

[Tony]

At least he didn't do it to little girls, you hypocritical fuckstain.

[John]

As opposed to fucking little boys, which you find totally empowering and okay, or raping underaged sex slaves, which you seem to think is a benefit that comes with being a Senator. Please Tony, continue to lecture the world about morality.

[Citizen X - #6]

I wonder what's going to happen when Tony finally realizes that John is the commenter with whom he has the most in common ethically, philosophically, rhetorically, and stylistically. Satori, i suppose.

[John]

So tell me citizen, exactly what philosophically do I share with Tony? Really? Fuck you. If you don't like having a challenging argument, too bad. Get better. But go fuck yourself if your idea of winning an argument is just to assume anyone who disagrees with you but that you can't refute is just some "mindless partisan".

You don't agree with me, fine. Tell me why. Maybe you are right. It won't be the first time someone has. And there are lots of examples of me changing my mind on things. But disagreeing with me is no justification to insult me or pretend that I am something that I am not. Call me stupid, call me wrong all you want. But seriously go fuck yourself with a spiked ball bat if you are going to say that I am some mindless partisan who doesn't think about anything or philosophically have anything in common with Tony.

I don't know what exactly I did to you and frankly, after that remark, I don't really care. But whatever it was, it doesn't' justify slander.

[loveconstitution1789]

Citizen gave some moola to Reason and now thinks he owns the place.

[Citizen X - #6]

It's nothing personal, but did you never wonder about the "Red Tony" nickname?

[John]

It is very personal. And that came from people who got tired of losing arguments to me and decided to resort to insults instead. Whenever someone says that they are just admitting they can't win the argument. It is a term used by people who are douche bags who feel the need to be above everything and feel cool wishing a pox on both houses is more important than telling the truth as it is.

If you want to be one of those people, that is a shame because you are smart enough to do better.

[BestUsedCarSales]

And that came from people who got tired of losing arguments to me and decided to resort to insults instead. Whenever someone says that they are just admitting they can't win the argument.

When you start calling the person an imbecile or stupid or something like that, do you consider yourself having lost at that point?

[$park? leftist poser]

Roy Moore says a conspiracy of "liberals, lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgenders, and socialists" are to blame for the multiple allegations of sexual misconduct leveled against him.

He forgot to include Methodists.

[John]

They are just a front for the Episcopalians. The Methodists could have never outfought Santino.

[$park? leftist poser]

I hold out hope that someone knows the reference.

[John]

If you don't, there is not a whole lot anyone can do for you.

[loveconstitution1789]

Sparky likes to point out how smart he isn't.

[$park? leftist poser]

It takes a true genius to miss the reference I made, that's for sure.

[loveconstitution1789]

Spoken like a true genius. That's for sure.

[Rebel Scum]

A fifth woman has accused Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct.

Hide ya kids, hide ya wife. They gropin' errbody out here.

[loveconstitution1789]

A fifth woman has accused Sen. Al Franken of sexual misconduct.
I guess, Daily Affirmation with Stuart Smalley, "I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and doggone it, people like me". is not going to work anymore.

[Citizen X - #6]

Sorry, hoss. Everyone already made much better versions of this joke back when the first accusation came out.

[Crusty Juggler]

loveconstitution1789 just flew into town and boy are his arms tired.

[loveconstitution1789]

I am always so late to these things. Cosmos are always the belles of the balls.

[Bacon-Magic glib reasonoid]

Self affirmation is the key.

[Stormy Dragon]

White House Plans Tillerson Ouster From State Dept., to Be Replaced by Pompeo, Within Weeks

Mr. Pompeo would be replaced at the C.I.A. by Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas who has been a key ally of the president on national security matters, according to the White House plan. Mr. Cotton has signaled that he would accept the job if offered, said the officials, who insisted on anonymity to discuss sensitive deliberations before decisions are announced.

The idea of Tom Cotton as CIA director disturbs me.

[John]

The thing about these sorts of stories is that there is no way to tell if they are true or if they are just the person's enemies leaking to the media for the purpose of undermining them. Nothing makes an appointee weaker than the perception that they are about to be replaced. So, leaking to friendly media stories about how they are on their way out a common tactic in Washington.

[loveconstitution1789]

This from the same media that had Hillary win in a landslide.

Then when an undermined cabinet member cannot do his job and the president is forced to replace him, the media can say "see, our confidential source was right".