Patterico's Pontifications

1/22/2020

The Comically Unaware New York Times Opinion Page

Filed under: General — JVW @ 11:20 am



[guest post by JVW]

I’ll keep it brief because you sophisticated consumers of political news already know that the conservative blogosphere is having a hearty laugh at the New York Times editorial board’s dual endorsement of Amy “Lend Me Your Comb” Klobuchar and Elizabeth “Lieawatha” or “Fauxcahontas” Warren. The laugh we are all having at their expense is in their fulsome description of the virtues of Senator Warren, who they knowingly and quite unironically inform us is “a gifted storyteller.”

This unintentionally apt description was of course immediately — what’s the phrase? oh yes — pounced upon by conservative websites because it is such a perfect example of that trite description that has dual meanings. National Review’s Charles Cooke tweeted a link to the NYT editorial board’s endorsement, with the soon-to-be-infamous quote pulled out and placed at the forefront. And though I didn’t ask him, I’m willing to bet it was not to congratulate the editorial board on their excellent choice. Unfortunately for them, the sarcasm was lost on whomever runs their Twitter account:

NYT Cooke retweet

I’m using a screenshot here because I imagine once the NYT Opinion Twitter account manager realizes that Cooke wasn’t complimenting their choice, they will delete the retweet. Of course retweets don’t equal endorsement or whatever.

– JVW

Impeachment Trial: An Utter Disgrace

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 8:00 am



The great thing about this headline is that anyone reading this blog can agree with it, albeit from different perspectives.

Perhaps you think it’s an utter disgrace that the Do Nothing Democrats are putting our patriotic president through this ridiculous process over a perfect phone call.

Or, some of you may see it the way I do: as a group of Senators who have bitched and moaned that the impeachment lacks evidence, repeatedly voting 53-47 not to hear more evidence.

I have heard all of the arguments in favor of Trump, and there’s not a single one that doesn’t sound like partisan pablum.

They brought the case without anyone with firsthand knowledge!!1! (Because Trump blocked the testimony of anyone with firsthand knowledge.)

If they thought this stuff was so important they could have gone to the courts!!1! (The same courts where Trump’s lawyers have been arguing that the courts have no business deciding these issues. How many months did they want Democrats to spend in the courts as the election drew closer, and what blame do they put on Trump for issuing a blanket statement that he would cooperate with nothing whatsoever? None.)

Trump had no chance to present witnesses in the House!!1! (Trump sent a letter to the House saying he wouldn’t participate, and if he thought presenting his side through witnesses was important he could do it now.)

They had secret hearings in the House!!1! (Attended by about 100 CongressCritters — and open to, and attended by, puh-lenty of Republicans.)

It’s not the Senate’s job to hear new evidence!!1! (The Senate has always heard new evidence in impeachments. Keep in mind that the precedents for impeachments go beyond those of presidents. And the precedents are clear: the Senate has always heard new evidence. If you don’t believe that, you’re in a bubble.)

You can’t impeach a president for abuse of power!!1! (Whoever is saying that, ask them what they said 20 years ago. In any event, this argument is both horse droppings, and frightening in its implications. Think about it.)

And on and on.

Susan Collins and other people pretending to be “reasonable” are saying, “hey, we’re not shutting down any further evidence! We just want to hear opening statements and answers to questions first!” OK, but they are also voting against issuing subpoenas for documents, which take time to deliver and to get results. Maybe they’ll vote to hear John Bolton in the end — I suspect they will — but they’re not actually interested in the truth.

Actually, if we all wanted the most direct evidence possible, Trump could testify. There’s nothing stopping him — and in my view, nothing stopping House managers from calling him. Just a thought!

The way Republicans have handled this so far, lining up one and all behind the corrupt actions of a corrupt man, solidifies my utter disenchantment with the Republican party. There is not a single one of them left I respect. Not Mike Lee or Mitt Romney, not Ted Cruz or Rand Paul — none of them. (Sure as hell not Donald Trump, who said the other day he doesn’t even care about the debt and nobody does, and it didn’t even seem to merit a post that the President of the United States made such a statement, both because it was obvious he and everybody else feels this way, and also because it is one of 10,000 atrocities he says or does daily.) Then there are the Democrats, who want to run my life like authoritiarians and take all my money.

To hell with all of Washington, D.C.

[Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.]


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