Patterico's Pontifications

3/31/2017

Mike And Karen Pence Sound Like They Have A Rock Solid Marriage. Why Is That Offensive?

Filed under: General — Dana @ 9:05 am



[guest post by Dana]

[It irritates me that I am compelled to push back against something so ridiculous. And what annoys me even more is the continuing case of the vapors from which the left side of the aisle suffers. For God sake, stop being such a bunch of little girls!]

On Wednesday, The Washington Post published a profile of Vice-president Pence’s wife, Karen Pence. Readers were able to catch glimpse of a steadfast woman who consistently puts her faith and family first. The picture of Mrs. Pence also revealed the high level of regard in which the Pences hold their 32-year marriage. And each other.

However, the portion of the profile that is causing a flurry of hysteria, is this:

In 2002, Mike Pence told the Hill that he never eats alone with a woman other than his wife and that he won’t attend events featuring alcohol without her by his side, either.

The writer of the profile, Ashley Parker, also tweeted this to point readers to her story.

Now let’s look at the actual quote in context:

During his 12 years in Congress, Pence had rules to avoid any infidelity temptations, or even rumors of impropriety. Those included requiring that any aide who had to work late to assist him be male, never dining alone with a woman other than his wife, and not attending an event where alcohol is served unless Karen was there.

In a 2002 interview with The Hill, Pence called it, “building a zone around your marriage.”

“If there’s alcohol being served and people are being loose, I want to have the best-looking brunette in the room standing next to me,” Pence said.

Okay, now let’s look at the reaction of Clara Jeffery, Editor-in-Chief of Mother Jones. One reason I selected her response(s) from a slew of similar responses because hers covered the same territory in one long rant. Amusingly, I’m fairly certain Jeffery believes her response(s) to be logical and reasonable, while I see them as ignorant, knee-jerk and just a bit embarrassing: Untitled

Untitled2
Shorter Jeffrey: How dare Mike Pence honor his marriage and honor his wife.

This just doesn’t seem hard to me: A couple marries. They have promised to remain faithful to one another. They come up with a plan to help each other hold up their end of the bargain because they understand the human condition and challenges of marriage. It might not be your plan, but it’s their plan, and anyone who values marriage should be cheering them on. This is an investment in their future, and their children’s future. Even society at large benefits from stable marriages. This safeguarding is also an investment that will pay off in massive dividends of happiness for all parties involved. But if the method which Mike and Karen Pence have chosen to guard their marriage with doesn’t work for you, then fine, do something else. Just remember, it’s the fool who believes their own marriage won’t be tested at some point in time. However, at the end of the day, it’s really none of anyone’s damn business how the Pences run their marriage, so perhaps the naysayers and critics should butt out and focus on making sure their own marriages are secure.

Another reason I selected Jeffery’s response(s) is because she clearly demonstrates how a large segment of the country continues to be fairly ignorant about the evangelical community, and what Christians (and Conservatives) value. In this setting, the Pence’s risk management strategy is not at all strange or unusual. This making a conscious decision to pro-actively protect and maintain a sacred covenant made between a couple and God is pretty standard fare. As Aaron Blake put it over at The Fix:

If nothing else, the commentary from the left about Parker’s tweet confirms the initial reactions of those on the right: that plenty of people in the United States simply don’t understand them and have dismissed them as Neanderthals — deplorables, even. The fact that this kind of arrangement is so foreign and unthinkable to some people in this country reinforces what separate worlds we live in.

I’m sure David and Nancy French would agree. They also were treated in a fashion similar to the Pences when their own risk-management strategies put in place during David French’s deployment to Iraq were misrepresented and mocked by the usual suspects.

It’s mind-boggling that people who certainly know better, want us to believe that Washington D.C., the ultimate hub of power and money, is a scandal-free zone. In that town, one doesn’t even have to be having an illicit relationship to find themselves smeared on the covers of the The New York Times and The Washington Post . Thus it only seems wise for any married individual in any position of power, to be mindful of their actions with the opposite sex and give no opportunity for gossip or rumor, or for an insatiable media to zero in on a small nothing and make it into a big something. (Whether it’s true or not is irrelevant.)

Finally, in this honest look at our human frailties, fidelity, and honoring one’s marriage, noted author and icon of the left, Ta-Nehisi Coates demonstrates why it is wise to take steps to protect a marriage. Just like Mike Pence does.

Untitled

(Cross-posted at The Jury Talks Back.)

–Dana

179 Responses to “Mike And Karen Pence Sound Like They Have A Rock Solid Marriage. Why Is That Offensive?”

  1. Good morning. It’s a tiresome game, but, if a (D) followed Pence’s name, his views and commitment to sustaining a happy marriage of faithfulness would be lauded.

    Dana (023079)

  2. Mike Pence’s marriage is more important than Clara Jeffery’s outrage. My next Pepsi purchase is more important than Clara Jeffery’s outrage.

    John Hitchcock (48f0cb)

  3. Wish I could attribute this:
    Clintons, a love for the ages.
    Weiners, love conquers all.
    Pences, weird evangelical horseshit.

    Richard Aubrey (a09608)

  4. amazon turdlord jeffy bezos’s propaganda sluts at the washington post do not add value

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  5. do we really have to take this as a matter of faith and faithfulness though

    this is just smart policy for any politician these days i think

    of even if you’re just a p.o.s. uber ceo

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  6. Well, doesnt he have a Secret Service detail and thus never truly alone at this juncture?

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  7. they make hoochie secret service bimbos now

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  8. teachable moment

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  9. That’s so Captain Caveman, all they need is Katrina Pierson and a brunette and away they go.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  10. What John Hitchcock said. +1

    nk (dbc370)

  11. Doesn’t Clara Jeffery look a little like Monica Lewinski, BTW? More than a little?

    nk (dbc370)

  12. Amen to all of those being so proactive in protecting what thyey regard as precious to them. Fye upon all those who question the means in which thy do so. Never mind the speck in thy brothr’s eye and regard instead the log in thine own.

    neoCon_1 (4d97ca)

  13. *or* even i mean

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  14. Living in a culture in which women are presume to tell the truth about sexual assault/harassment and there is no penalty when malicious allegations are revealed, as a matter of personal safety, men need to take precautions when associating with women. The experiences of Donald Sterling, Larry Ellison and many others come to mind. Chaperones and limiting contact with women are necessary and effective approaches.

    Chaperones have played an important role in human culture for a very long time. One should not forget that chaperones protect both parties. Sadly, we live in a culture in which men, especially rich/powerful men need such protection. But it’s not just the rich and powerful. I’ve known a number of regular guys who were the victim of women making false allegations. I presume Tillerson’s behavior has more to do with protecting himself from scurrilous attacks than honoring his marriage.

    I prefer Chuck Berry’s approach. He’d take a selfie while fully dressed standing next to a smiling and completely undressed groupie he was about to have sex with. With photographic evidence like that, it is hard to argue you were assaulted or coerced.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  15. Well Parker was on the romeny haircut bit, Jeffery had a primal screen event not that long ago.

    narciso (d1f714)

  16. https://mobile.twitter.com/ClaraJeffery/status/847200975307685888?p=v

    3/ If Pence won’t eat with a woman alone, how could a woman be Chief of Staff, or lawyer, campaign manager, or…

    5/ For that matter, how would he ever even interview a woman. With a chaperone?

    Roger Ailes of Fox News didn’t have that problem.

    He interviewed and hored and promoted many woomen.

    Sammy Finkelman (8a31dc)

  17. “Clintons = Timeless love story
    Weiners = Proof love conquers all
    Pences = Sick depraved weirdos”

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  18. Well, I can see that no only Clara Jeffrey’s, but the folks on this site have revealed their heterosexual biases!

    Why should we give Mike Pence a pass for even allowing a private meeting with another man? After all, he could decide that he’d solicit some anal action with a man and violate his vows of monogamy. Therefore, his wife should be present at all meetings for men or women. After all, Mr. Pence’s gender and sexual preferences could change at any moment.

    He has a double standard that violates due-process and subjects him to a 14th amendment infraction of some kind, that I’m sure that Sotomayor, Kagan, or Bader-Ginsburg could conjure up.

    El Gipper (f1f816)

  19. Two early experiences in the workplace made a big impression on me. One was an office romance between two married people (not married to each other) that was very disruptive to the workplace. The second was a facially-false accusation of sexual harassment. In neither was I a directly involved party.

    Because of those experiences, these have been my principles for more than 3 decades. Hey, guess what. I’m celebrating my 33rd wedding anniversary today.

    SPQR (a3a747)

  20. Ditto on what SPQR prescribes… it’s worked for 41 years in my case.

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  21. Any time a Republican is in the White House, the Progressive Left starts this crap; desperately searching for something, ANYTHING that can discredit the administration.

    Should a Democrat occupy 1600 PA Ave, then all of a sudden any personal failings are ‘private matters’ that shouldn’t be inquired into.

    If Bubba Clinton had roasted Lewinsky like a Thanksgiving Turkey and served her up as a State Dinner, the Progressive Left would have come up with some reason that mentioning the matter was an egregious violation of his privacy.

    C. S. P. Schofield (99bd37)

  22. It used to be that a man never shut the door to his office when a female was visiting, lest something devolve to he said/she said.

    Given the animus against this administration from the Democrat-controlled press, there would seem to be serious danger of false charges being laid against any administration official.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  23. El Gimper seems to be projecting…

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  24. Happy anniversary. SPQR!!

    Dana (21d601)

  25. FFS:

    The religious origins of Pence’s self-restriction don’t make it any less sexist. If anything, they exacerbate it. The notion that men are unable to contain themselves sexually around women is born of the Biblical fallen and lascivious woman; Until the late 18th century it was actually thought women were the over-sexed gender, and would prey on men, then the Romantic and Victorian eras flipped the script, but to much the same result. Centuries later, we still live in a culture that produces vice-presidents who ardently believe women are a wellspring of possible sin.

    At its core, Pence’s self-imposed ban is rape culture.

    Dana (21d601)

  26. There’s also another good reason for this other than to forestall temptation or appearance of impropriety. Women are much better at reading other women than men are. I know my wife can pick out another woman’s agenda way easier than I, and that can be invaluable when dealing with a female competitor, or I would imagine, a reporter. Plus, a woman will be much less likely to try and play you in the first place when your wife is sitting there.

    Your spouse is a helpmate, let them help.

    Leon (168f33)

  27. “It used to be that a man never shut the door to his office when a female was visiting, lest something devolve to he said/she said.”

    That is still the smart play!

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  28. Unless you work in Hollywood… IYKWIMAITTYD 🐶

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  29. “He interviewed and hored and promoted many woomen.”

    Sammeh swings for teh fences!

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  30. Happy Anniversary SPQR
    The dinner thing I don’t understand.
    34 years in June

    mg (31009b)

  31. Vox weighs in:

    To be sure, a politician’s declining to dine alone with a woman does not fall in the same category as a law partner refusing to work with women (or at least musing about refusing to work with women). Nonetheless, the practice described by Pence in that 2002 interview is clearly illegal when practiced by a boss in an employment setting, and deeply damaging to women’s employment opportunities.

    Title VII, which governs workplace discrimination, does not allow employers to treat people differently on the basis of certain protected characteristics, one of which is sex. This means that an employer cannot set the terms and conditions of employment differently for one gender than for the other. This includes any aspect of the relationship between employer and employees — extending to benefits like equal access to the employer.

    By law, working dinners with the boss could be considered an opportunity to which both sexes must have equal access
    Employers are not permitted to classify employees on the basis of gender without proof that sex is a bona fide occupational qualification for a particular job. A Pence-type rule could never satisfy this test. A male boss cannot casually cordon off certain jobs, tasks, or opportunities for men only. (I am assuming here that Pence does occasionally dine with men — table for two — without his wife present.)

    Heh. I’m commenting from an iPhone, and auto-correct keeps changing “Vox” to “God”. They wish!

    Dana (21d601)

  32. Greetings:

    In Catholic school it euphemistically referred to as “avoiding the near occasions of sin”.

    And, as everybody seemed to know, “When it comes to the temptation to sin, the Devil almost always has ease and/or pleasure on his side of the balance.”

    11B40 (6abb5c)

  33. In old school catholic societies, if a single young man and single young woman became so much as being in the same room together behind closed (not necessarily “locked” mind you), they would have to get married.

    urbanleftbehind (5eecdb)

  34. 18. Colonel Haiku: 18.“Pences = Sick depraved weirdos”

    Hypocrites, too, because surely they disapprove of women covering their hair, covering their faces, and wearing burqas.

    Christy Beckham
    @seawiz2

    what is most insidious is they have the nerve 2 criticize Muslims in ME…when they do the exact same thing – women relegated to 2nd class twitter.com/clarajeffery/s…

    12:33 PM – 30 Mar 2017

    Sammy Finkelman (8a31dc)

  35. Greetings, urban: ( @ 34 urbanleftbehind (5eecdb) — 3/31/2017 @ 11:27 am )

    Legends are fun, aren’t they ???

    11B40 (6abb5c)

  36. Colonel Haiku is fantasizing. But El Gipper is not interested. Sorry!

    El Gipper (f1f816)

  37. What’s she whining about(another whiny woman, go figure)? If all men are rapists, which is what she believes, women should be segregated from men for their own protection. She’s got it backwards. Pence’s self-segregation serves to protect women from rape. If all men followed Pence’s lead, we wouldn’t have a rape culture. He should be lauded.

    Burkas would help, too.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  38. Two early experiences in the workplace made a big impression on me. One was an office romance between two married people (not married to each other) that was very disruptive to the workplace.

    I saw the same thing happen early in my career. Not only was it disruptive, but it absolutely paralyzed our company and led to firings, lawsuits, etc. Because of that, I made a rule to avoid any intraoffice romances, even with single women. I kind of came to regret that rule, though. But that doesn’t change the fact that a poor decision by coworkers to conduct an illicit extramarital affair really hurt all of us who were employed there.

    Happy anniversary to you and Mrs. SPQR. I always wondered if people should celebrate 33 years and 121.67 days as a special anniversary, but I guess you have a few months to decide upon that.

    JVW (82131c)

  39. The VP’s personal rules of conduct are similar to what the Boy Scouts require of their adult leaders–no solitary 1 on 1 contact. What no one seems to be acknowledging is that the rules protect both parties, not to mention Mrs. Pence. The female staff members never have to suffer the innuendo of improper alone time with the boss, while Mr. and Mrs. Pence do not have have to suffer embarrassment from salacious rumors. The Boy Scout policy similarly protects the child, quite obviously, and it also helps protect the adult leader against false accusations.

    JohnS (19d780)

  40. Heh. I’m commenting from an iPhone, and auto-correct keeps changing “Vox” to “God”. They wish!

    Well, as the Romans would have said, “Vox Vocis, vox stulti.” (Or maybe it would just be “Vox Vox, vox stulti.” I didn’t have enough Latin to learn how to decline proper nouns.)

    JVW (82131c)

  41. Why is this Fox channeling?

    Fake news, of course.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  42. This is one of those online discussions where the “mansplaining” card gets pulled quickly in response to (accurate) comments that the people flogging this are being ridiculous. Which tends to demonstrate my observation over the years that accusations of “mansplaining” are almost exclusively used (at least in online interaction) as a tool of leftist political propaganda rather than as a reaction to overbearing male behavior from all political viewpoints, as its advocates usually claim.

    M. Scott Eiland (1edade)

  43. 39. JVW (82131c) — 3/31/2017 @ 11:57 am

    I always wondered if people should celebrate 33 years and 121.67 days as a special anniversary

    Shouldn’t that be 121.75 days? (remember leap years)

    A fraction less according to the Gregorian calendar, but there’s no difference betwene the Julian and gregorian calendars from March 1, 1900 to February 28, 2100.

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  44. https://twitter.com/jimgeraghty/status/847545146883403776

    Q. from Jim Geraghty, National review columnist: (and answers)

    “Okay, married Twitter followers, I’m asking: how often do you have dinner with a member of the opposite sex who isn’t your spouse?”

    Sammy Finkelman (6f9f42)

  45. The ‘honor’ is in the trust. Apparently the Pences have issues w/that. As if any of this matters at all.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  46. 35… sammeh, you’ve certainly misconstrued the point made. There is nothing hypocritical about honoring your marriage vows and your spouse, just as there appears to be little to be found that’s admirable about the Clinton or Humaweiner marriages.

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  47. God love ya, Sammy Finklemam.

    I celebrated 35 years a few weeks ago. It’s the longest thing I’ve ever done.

    Dana (21d601)

  48. I suppose the other approach would for Mrs. Pence to hand a recording device to VP Pence before each solo meeting, have him record every moment of that meeting (timing it to make sure no “accidental” gaps were present), and hand the recording back to her after each meeting, making sure that no hanky panky could take place without being detected. I’m sure the enlightened souls who are objecting to VP Pence’s meeting practices would be completely mollified by that and not accuse him of being creepy or otherwise odd for doing so.

    M. Scott Eiland (1edade)

  49. Carlos Dangler: I’ll answer the question. You want answers?

    DCSCA: I think I’m entitled to them.

    Carlos Dangler: You want answers?!

    DCSCA: I want teh honor!

    Carlos Dangler: You can’t handle teh honor!

    A Few So-So Men”...

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  50. We don’t really know what the Clinton marriage vows were. During the summer of ’68 (the summer after the Summer of Love in San Francisco) the Clintons were living in Berkeley and, I presume, behaving like the hippies they were. Abstinence of any sort wasn’t a part of that culture. Even today, the Bay Area is full of old hippies in longstanding open marriages and there still isn’t much abstinence. From the outside, the Clinton marriage appears to be dysfunctional, but my guess is that they have an open marriage in which fidelity was never part of the deal.

    ThOR (c9324e)

  51. Married for thirty years. Um, chastity, honor, virtue, sacrifice. I do not know why insane predators get triggered by even attempting that. They probably really hate these cans. Stay away from the cans.

    I guess that is when the adults are not safe for the kids. Sad.

    neal (8712e0)

  52. The whole shebang is coming apart at the seams…

    ” Claims that Russia Was “Defnintely” Behind Election Hacking Relies Almost Entirely on Report Commissioned by Democrats From Private (and Partisan) Firm; That Firm Seems to Be Walking Back Its Claims
    —Ace

    From Hot Air, Jeff Dunetz reports that the security firm “Crowdstrike” is withdrawing the report that the FBI relied so much upon.

    Quoting VOA:

    U.S. cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has revised and retracted statements it used to buttress claims of Russian hacking during last year’s American presidential election campaign. The shift followed a VOA report that the company misrepresented data published by an influential British think tank.
    Tucker Carlson had on a professor who’s an expert on Russia last night to debunk the claim that it has been “proven” Russia meddled in our election. I didn’t catch his name on the show; I just prayed “Don’t be Stephen Cohen, Don’t be Stephen Cohen,” because he’s a rather notorious Russian apologist who thinks Russia is pretty much innocent of everything.

    Well, alas, it turns out the professor Carlson was interviewing was in fact Stephen Cohen.

    Nonetheless, Cohen’s claims here are factual in nature, not so much argumentative, and it seems to me that factual claims must be met with factual rebuttals, not questions about the biases of the person offering those claims.”

    http://ace.mu.nu/archives/369096.php

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  53. To me the largest fight in this Country is between a Culture of Traditional with God Based Morality at its core and demented Leftism.

    Trump for all his flaws supports my side and does not supported demented Leftism.

    Too bad people can’t appreciate that fact as they would a flawed General who won the war with brutality.

    Blah (44eaa0)

  54. Add “Values” after Traditional

    Blah (44eaa0)

  55. @70. Mike Pence: In like Flynn.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  56. @57.–>@50. Typo.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  57. Elevating faux outrage is Fox 101. And conservative desperation to simmer over fake news and take real news off the front burner.

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  58. Schiff floats, narciso.

    mg (31009b)

  59. If it can be proven that the Obama admin was soliciting fake news fabricated from bits and pieces of intel surveilled from the Trump campaign, that means prison terms for highly placed Democrats.

    Happy Caesar Chavez Day!

    The DMV is closed. 🙁 Doh!

    papertiger (c8116c)

  60. Hug a tomato picker, but bring a chaperone.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  61. Sumadat “Real News”…

    “MORE NEWS ON THE INTELLIGENCE PROBE: Fox News is reporting that the individual who unmasked Trump associates is “very high up…in the intelligence world.”

    Intelligence and House sources with direct knowledge of the disclosure of classified names told Fox News that House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., now knows who is responsible — and that person is not in the FBI.

    For a private citizen to be “unmasked,” or named, in an intelligence report is extremely rare. Typically, the American is a suspect in a crime, is in danger or has to be named to explain the context of the report.

    “The main issue in this case, is not only the unmasking of these names of private citizens, but the spreading of these names for political purposes that have nothing to do with national security or an investigation into Russia’s interference in the U.S. election,” a congressional source close to the investigation told Fox News.”

    https://pjmedia.com/instapundit/more-news-on-the-intelligence-probe-fox-news-is-reporting-that-the-individual-who-unmasked-trump-as/

    Colonel Haiku (fb7ea4)

  62. Man if mystery is amusing , what is CNN (when they are doing deep research like history of comedy) and msnbc, but microagression central

    narciso (d1f714)

  63. If a woman is not allowed the opportunity to dine alone with her boss how is she going to sleep her way to the top?

    Pinandpuller (cfc98c)

  64. narciso, its “International Man of Mystery”

    SPQR (a3a747)

  65. What John Hitchcock said. +1
    nk (dbc370) — 3/31/2017 @ 9:43 am

    Make that +2

    felipe (023cc9)

  66. DC is just full of the honorable male leader who has a surprising affair with the attractive female staffer. Pence’s rules avoided any appearance of that, keeping things simple.

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  67. Congrats SPQR!

    Dustin (ba94b2)

  68. Andy Whitfield, the guy who starred in Spartacus, made a movie about his death called “Be Here Now”, and I’m thinking it’s going to be a grueling bout of chemo that eventually doesn’t work.

    Instead he takes his grim pronosis to New Delia, India, for some holistic mud baths and aroma therapy.
    Looks to be going the full Kaufman. Shaman faith healers and such.

    Might as well have set hiself on fire.

    Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey Baby, are we losing touch?”Man on the Moon, REM

    papertiger (c8116c)

  69. ugh i hate cancer movies

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  70. Meanwhile back at the ranch:
    https://mobile.twitter.com/CNN/status/847923564355473408

    narciso (d1f714)

  71. that link is no bueno

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  72. Its about the exploding laptops, which CNN protested as having in fiundation

    narciso (d1f714)

  73. Q: What do lawyers and sperm have in common?

    A: one in 3,000,000 have a chance at becoming a human being.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  74. Mr. Trump is fdoing his best to keep us safe, isis-loving harvardtrash hawaii judgesluts notwithstanding

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  75. Q: what do you call 25,000 lawyers buried up to their chins in cement?

    A: not enough cement.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  76. uh oh there’s an f what shouldn’t even be there

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  77. On the one hand they are so sex obsessed that they demonstrAte with a symbol of an interior organ, yet they make common cause with ergs like car who tie them in burkas, and cut their hands off for driving in public

    narciso (d1f714)

  78. Quelled surprise:
    dailycaller.com/2017/03/27/londons-westminster-terrorist-received-government-welfare-before-engaging-in-his-attack

    narciso (d1f714)

  79. fun fact the number one welfare recipient in england isn’t a terrorist it’s a for real actual welfare queen her name is elizabeth

    nasty old biddy

    vapid and useless

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  80. No the queen serves her purpose, bonnie prince Charles, otoh.

    narciso (d1f714)

  81. if her purpose is to keep her twit son off the throne then i suppose yes i concede the point

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  82. Vive la Revolution! Dansons la Carmagnole, Citoyen happyfeet!

    Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite!

    nk (dbc370)

  83. Pedestal paid a billion rubles by the Russian govt. while working for Hag Clinton. who cares?

    mg (31009b)

  84. And now for something even more different. Actual court filing:

    SIX WAYS BUZZFEED HAS MISLED THE COURT
    (NUMBER TWO WILL AMAZE YOU)…
    AND A PICTURE OF A KITTEN

    H/t SayUncle.

    nk (dbc370)

  85. And it is about Trump and Russia. But I did not find the picture of the kitten. Maybe you’ll have better luck? Let me know.

    nk (dbc370)

  86. nk:. I will see your carmagnole and raise you to a carmignola

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFDrumsjJMk

    kishnevi (fe154d)

  87. yes yes yes we must depose the royal poopers

    elizabeth, chelsea clinton, kate middleton, princess lindsey

    all of them!

    one

    day

    more

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  88. You tricked me! I have to tell you, though, that in Greek idiom, a Karmaniola is a lady of the type Pence wishes to avoid.

    nk (dbc370)

  89. I didn’t either, that was some caveman lawyering

    narciso (d1f714)

  90. We keep The Spice Girls, though, right?

    nk (dbc370)

  91. 85 -90
    So much talent on those stages. And the musical instruments should be in a museum.

    mg (31009b)

  92. yes yes the spice girls add value

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  93. oh hah i get it

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  94. Carmignola’s violin is from a museum.

    He plays the Stradivarius Baillot of 1732 granted him by Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna because of his stature and artistic engagement with the Orchestra Mozart.

    (Per Wikipedia​)

    kishnevi (fe154d)

  95. beauteous, kishnevi

    mg (31009b)

  96. Very soothing kish:

    circa.com/politics/firm-behind-the-anti-trump-dossier-is-being-investigated-on-capitol-hill

    narciso (d1f714)

  97. “California Rep. Adam Schiff may not offer much by way of substance, but give him marks for political flimflam. The ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee was so successful at ginning up fake outrage over his Republican counterpart that he successfully buried this week’s only real (and bombshell) news.

    Mr. Schiff and fellow Democrats spent this week accusing Chairman Devin Nunes of carrying water for President Trump, undermining the committee’s Russia investigation, and hiding information. The press dutifully regurgitated the outrage, as well as Mr. Schiff’s calls for Mr. Nunes to recuse himself from the investigation into possible Russian electoral meddling.

    All this engineered drama served to deep-six the important information Americans urgently deserve to know. Mr. Nunes has said he has seen proof that the Obama White House surveilled the incoming administration—on subjects that had nothing to do with Russia—and that it further unmasked (identified by name) transition officials. This goes far beyond a mere scandal. It’s a potential crime.”

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/what-devin-nunes-knows-1490914396

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  98. Russia. In Like Flynn.

    “There’s an old saying in England: where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” – James Bond, 007 [Sean Connery] ‘From Russia With Love’ 1963

    DCSCA (797bc0)

  99. The question that comes to mind, coronello, is what was left behind in lieu of this surveillance, ft. Lauderdale, yacla, westminster

    narciso (51de22)

  100. Rank Intelligence Committee Member Adam Schifftwit claims: “I cannot discuss the content” and then claims “they should have been shared with the full committees”. and the msfm collect old dirt.
    This is going to be a kick in the gonads to obama and a kick in the head to clinton when it’s all sorted out.

    mg (31009b)

  101. Remember in no way out, there was a whole subplot about raw intelligence

    https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2017
    /03/31/knowing-it-cant-be-done-adam-schiff-requests-white-house-intelligence-distribution-to-entire-committee/

    narciso (51de22)

  102. Wait ’til the sh*t hits the fan…

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  103. Remember col Shaffer was behind able danger the data mining unit that might have found the hinackers, but was shut down by among other, head of special forces then, subsequently army chief of staff

    narciso (51de22)

  104. If Nunes has evidence, he should reveal it rather than playing footsie.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  105. How do you guys not have a constant case of blueballs from all these “smoking gun” stories you link that never go anywhere?

    Also a reminder that when Texas(!) put together a grand jury to review the planned parenthood tapes, not only did they not indict anyone from PP, they indicted the conman losers who created it.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  106. You mean delay, Perry Paxton, and the previous cases they fell apart on appeal, but as Mark Steyn points out ‘the process is the punishment’

    narciso (51e25e)

  107. You could ask Ted Stevens, but it might take a while to answer,

    narciso (51e25e)

  108. Liberals created this regime of thoughcrime, one is surprised one finds ways of getting around it

    narciso (51e25e)

  109. Ted Stevens was convicted during the Bush administration, and had his charges voided by Eric Holder.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  110. Anyone want to address the fact that Devin Nunes seems to have been right?

    shipwreckedcrew (56b591)

  111. The Texas charges against the PP video scammers were dismissed because “the grand jury had exceeded its authority by investigating the activists”. Strangely, no new grand jury was convened. Selective prosecution, I guess.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  112. Davethulhu, you can’t get any story correct, can you? And you call the PP video team “scammers” but no one has ever established that they faked or altered any part of the videos. The indictment was for the creating false ID and for offering to buy body parts – which was obviously not their intent. And you get the reason for the dismissal of the charges wrong, it was because the grand jury was not allowed under Texas law to investigate a new target after having their term extended.

    SPQR (a3a747)

  113. Further Davethulhu, the charges against Ted Stevens were not “voided” by Eric Holder as you attempt to imply that Holder did Sen. Stevens some sort of favor. Holder asked for the dismissal when it was revealed that the prosecutors had engaged in misconduct that the judge said was worse than any he had seen in 25 years on the bench.

    SPQR (a3a747)

  114. 118 – Actually that’s the exact reason I gave, not sure why you can’t parse it. The grand jury obviously thought a crime was committed, strange that it was never followed up.

    119 – The point was that Ted Stevens was convicted during a conservative administration, despite your claims that this is liberals-only behavior.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  115. How do you guys not have a constant case of blueballs from all these “smoking gun” stories you link that never go anywhere?

    The first rule of blueballs is you don’t discuss it with the door closed or without a chaperone present.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  116. 119 – The point was that Ted Stevens was convicted during a conservative administration, despite your claims that this is liberals-only behavior.

    An administration which held over Clinton attorneys in key positions to vex and stymie conservative aspects of a very big government friendly, disjointed, unfocused, middle of the road, administration, to the detriment of the entire country.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  117. Ah, here comes the “Bush wasn’t really conservative” defense.

    How many people would have said that on Sep 12?

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  118. no drug left behind act, no flyer unmolested act, send us your tired huddled Mexican drug dealers and rapists border security, lets finish what my daddy started at any cost no matter how stupid foreign policy, the shovel money we don’t got to Louisiana otherwise MSNBC will call me a racist (more than usual I mean) act, the lets impose top down control of what kids are taught in school (because that will never blow up in our face under a Democrat President) act.

    I could go on.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  119. before Sep 11th. dubya outlawed drilling for oil off the Florida coast, as a kiss on the cheek for his brother’s reelection bid.
    Low energy Jeb – in policy as in life.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  120. This is a very common rule or practice in conservative evangelical circles.

    I’ve been married more than 25 years and used this guidelines.

    Dems hate men and marriage and Christianity so their selective, moronic outrage is all too predictable.

    WarEagle82 (2b3d34)

  121. Is this the one, kishnevi?

    mg (31009b)

  122. It would certAinly seem so, shipwrecked as my string of posts suggest.

    narciso (6523ec)

  123. Sexual harassment charges are easily flung. Avoiding situations where they might arise is just smart policy.

    Skeptical Voter (1d5c8b)

  124. This is what civility looks like:

    https://mobile.twitter.com/mtracey/status/847892136691245056

    narciso (6523ec)

  125. i can never click your twitter links they all go wonky

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  126. A very civil commenter wants to’murder death kill’ Mr Tracey fir xrimethink’ much Luke Voldemort’s urchin brigades

    narciso (d1f714)

  127. that would certainly help clarify a lot where people stand i think

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  128. before Sep 11th. dubya outlawed drilling for oil off the Florida coast, as a kiss on the cheek for his brother’s reelection bid.

    right i forgot

    that was the deal what basically gave communist cuba the all clear to drink our milkshake

    Bushes are filthy, toxic, and fundamentally unamerican

    plus they slaughter our own soldiers for no good reason

    happyfeet (28a91b)

  129. Al Gore would have stopped oil, coal and natural gas production nationwide. Not to mention the bullet we dodged by not electing Charles Manson. Or Marilyn Manson. It was a binary choice.

    nk (dbc370)

  130. Now pikachu that is just your arugula cupcake talking.

    We did depend on tourism, but the Russians and Chinese are not so picky they’ll cook flipper in a pan full of wd 40.

    Meanwhile in Paraguay ‘the looted the food court’ I mean torched the capitol building.

    narciso (d1f714)

  131. If that sounds like what happened in Austin eight years and to the huntresses church its because it is.

    narciso (d1f714)

  132. Q: Why do they bury lawyers under 20 feet of dirt?

    A: Because deep down, they’re really good people.

    https://pjmedia.com/andrewmccarthy/2017/03/31/flynns-reported-immunity-request/

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  133. Well lets not go ‘Dick the butcher’ coronello our host who labors in the Aegean stables of the San Angeles, as well as Bolder a clarice, and a number if others, are members of the bar.

    The interesting part of this story is how they ignore on the record sytatements in favor of the freeze dried narrative of the day.

    narciso (d1f714)

  134. Better described as leftwing lawyers, yes, narciso.

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  135. We did depend on tourism, but the Russians and Chinese are not so picky they’ll cook flipper in a pan full of wd 40.
    lmao

    mg (31009b)

  136. 138-could have had nader.

    mg (31009b)

  137. Yeah. And Jerry Brown.

    Jerry is still threatening a run.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  138. call it devotion
    when it’s best friends and lovers
    it’s a love supreme

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  139. Wakin’ up on a Saturday morning… http://youtu.be/mxWQvkctTdY

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  140. Just a refresher course:
    http://www.dailywire.com/news/14756/12-pieces-proof-msm-knew-obama-spied-trump-and-john-nolte

    Aware they lying then, or now.

    narciso (d1f714)

  141. Just a refresher course:
    https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/837989835818287106

    Which ones of those 12 pieces of proof detail Trump being wiretapped?

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  142. Um. All of them.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  143. Actually, none of them. Half of them talk about Flynn.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  144. Baldwin acknowledged his impression was not the most accurate version but said he performs a ‘caricature of a more malicious Trump’.
    ‘I suppose if I spent some time I might be able to refine my impersonation of him,’ he said.

    Read more: An SNL parody so bad even Alec Baldwin trashes it.

    Consensus reached.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  145. “Half of them talk about Flynn” which is a felony.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  146. They are about the means, the content they make up:

    https://mobile.twitter.com/Doranimated/status/848166761979686912

    narciso (d1f714)

  147. They have generally been terrible, Phil hart.ann’s Reagan impressions and Carey’s bush sir were pretty good.

    Fe’ys was her imitating her Greek aunt and passing it off as the huntress, who was a much more dynamic figure.

    narciso (d1f714)

  148. “Half of them talk about Flynn” which is a felony.

    Maybe you should go make a citizen’s arrest.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  149. It’s all beside the point, because none of that crap shows that trump was wiretapped.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  150. Maybe you should go make a citizen’s arrest.

    Maybe I will.

    But if I do will Obama break out his real birth certificate and claim diplomatic immunity due to his Kenyan citizenship?

    papertiger (c8116c)

  151. Dave teh Squid lashes out in collusion with brain-dead fevah swampers

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  152. ahh
    little feet

    mg (31009b)

  153. little feat

    mg (31009b)

  154. https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/848216035153121285

    I wonder if Fox’s source is John Miller

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  155. Yep, mg, without Lowell George… oh well

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  156. Off topic:
    The poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko passed away overnight in a Tulsa hospital
    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeny_Yevtushenko

    kishnevi (053b9d)

  157. “1) Substance is what matters, Part 1. From the very beginning, there was only one central question in the investigation: Did Donald Trump or his associates collude with Russians in an attempt to influence the 2016 presidential election? So far we’ve seen evidence of some in the Trump circle having contact with Russians — see the Roger Stone DMs with Guccifer 2.0 — but we have seen nothing to prove, or even lend much support to, the contention that anyone on the extended Trump team coordinated election interference with Russians.

    2) Substance is what matters, Part 2. In recent weeks, a second Big Question has emerged: Did the Obama administration spy on the Trump campaign and/or transition team? That’s the issue at the heart of the Devin Nunes brouhaha, and the answer — did this happen or not? — is more important than where or how Nunes got his information.

    3) When either side yells about process, they’re holding a weak hand. Some Republicans have tried to distract from the was-there-collusion question by focusing on the leak of classified information regarding former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn’s conversation with the Russian ambassador. That’s a legitimate issue — and indeed, the only known crime committed so far — but it doesn’t get to the main issue of whether or not TrumpWorld colluded with Russians. Likewise, when Democrats yell about the methods House Intel Committee chairman Nunes employed to obtain evidence that might point toward Obama administration spying — that means they don’t want to talk about Obama administration spying.

    4) Everyone should see the Nunes documents. In a smart — and belated — move Thursday, White House counsel Don McGahn invited the chairmen and ranking members of both House and Senate intelligence committees to come to the White House to view the documents Nunes saw. House Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff took McGahn up on it, but the Senate is making noise about demanding the documents be brought to the Senate. Enough with the turf battles; the investigation will be better off if both Senate Intel chairman Richard Burr and vice chairman Mark Warner go see the documents.

    5) Mike Flynn’s request for immunity is no big deal. Of course the former national security adviser wants immunity; he’s under investigation by the FBI. But the public does not know exactly what Flynn is under investigation for. It is known that the Obama Justice Department used a possible violation of the never-successfully-prosecuted Logan Act as the reed-thin pretense for going to the White House with its concerns about Flynn talking to the Russian ambassador during the transition. It’s also known that there was nothing wrong with Flynn talking to the ambassador, even talking specifically about U.S. sanctions on Russia. What is not known is how the Flynn investigation might have spread into other areas — Turkey? — or whether it focuses on an alleged process crime like making a false statement to investigators. In any event, the House and Senate investigations can go forward without Flynn’s testimony.

    6) Don’t fetishize “sources and methods.” If it has been said once, it’s been said a thousand times in this investigation: This or that potentially critical bit of information cannot be made public because to do so would compromise the intelligence community’s “sources and methods.” The problem is, this is an investigation of the highest priority; some Democrats hope it will result in removing President Trump from office. Resolving it is of great national concern. And if “sources and methods” would indeed be damaged, well they have been damaged at times in the past, to be repaired later. Yes, it is not something to be done lightly, but it is time for the intelligence community to release more, not less, information on the Trump-Russia matter.

    7) Don’t forget Manafort and Stone. Given what is publicly known now, the two prime suspects in the Russia collusion investigation are former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who has long had business dealings in that part of the world, and Roger Stone, who just likes to mix things up in the course of campaigns. Both have volunteered to testify before the House and Senate — Stone is demanding to do so publicly, while Manafort’s representatives have not yet said whether he wants to do the same or testify in some sort of closed session. In either event, congressional investigators should get their testimony, and soon, and as publicly as possible.

    8) Say yes to Clapper, Brennan, and Yates. House chairman Nunes famously canceled a hearing planned for last Tuesday in which two former top intelligence officials and a former top Justice Department official were scheduled to testify. Nunes’ stated reason was that he wanted to receive closed-door testimony from the FBI’s James Comey and the NSA’s Michael Rogers before going ahead. Comey slowed things down by demanding an invitation signed by both Nunes and Schiff — and then the Democrat chose not to sign until the Clapper, Brennan, and Yates hearing was re-scheduled. The solution is easy: Make everybody testify. And if there are more questions, make them testify again.

    9) Watch what the Senate Judiciary Committee does on the issue of the Christopher Steele dossier. On February 28, the Washington Post published an intriguing story, reporting that last fall the FBI reached an agreement to pay Trump dirt-digger Christopher Steele, who had been working for supporters of the Hillary Clinton campaign, to continue his work for the FBI. The idea that the FBI would foot the bill for oppo research during a campaign struck many as amazing. One of those was Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley. On March 6, Grassley wrote a letter to Comey demanding more information. So far, he’s received no answer. Then, on Tuesday, Grassley wrote another letter with more questions, focusing heavily on FBI number-two Andrew McCabe. Grassley is patient and persistent. Look for him to discover something.

    10) Yes, what Evelyn Farkas said is important. Democrats are pooh-poohing Republican excitement over a just-noticed March 2 MSNBC interview in which former Obama Defense Department official Evelyn Farkas — she left the administration in 2015 — described how, during the transition, she urged her former colleagues to compile and distribute classified information regarding the Trump team. Farkas said she feared “that the Trump folks — if they found out how we knew what we knew about their, the Trump staff, dealing with Russians — that they would try to compromise those sources and methods.” Farkas’ statement clearly supports the Obama-Trump “breadcrumbs” theory, and the “if they found out how we knew what we knew” suggests — doesn’t prove, but suggests — that the Obama team used some sort of irregular methods in its Trump information collection. Investigators need to know more about what Farkas said, and to whom.

    11) In the end, it’s probably all going to be about process. This is not a guarantee, but in the past, a lot of Washington “scandals” that seemed very hot for a while ended in a whimper. No one was charged with any underlying crime. If anyone was charged, it was with process crimes like making false statements to investigators or withholding information from Congress. What seemed world-shaking at one moment ended up much less. It could turn out that the Russian-helped-Trump-and-Obama-spied-on-Trump twin scandals end much the same way.”

    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/11-things-to-remember-about-the-trump-russia-affair/article/2619060

    Colonel Haiku (2601c0)

  158. A surprisingly even handed link, Haiku.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  159. Col – This farce reminds me of the movie” The Spinal Tap” by rob reiner.
    A mockumentary

    mg (31009b)

  160. Perhaps chapelle could update it.

    narciso (d1f714)

  161. The bottom line is that the Democrat Party’s propaganda arm, the MSM, is trying to manufacture a “Watergate” so they can undo the election and cripple the GOP for years to come.

    They have been successful in getting Republicans to fracture. They failed at getting a nominee who would lose (or maybe they succeeded twice). They thought they had picked someone so “extreme” that he’d surely lose, and there was no worry about him getting power to do the things he said he’d do.

    But now, they are desperate. So they are throwing EVERYTHING against the wall, in hopes that some of it will stick. Unfortunately, outside their echo chamber, it’s just an annoying din and even the valid cries of “Wolf!” are drowned out by all the barking.

    Kevin M (25bbee)

  162. This whole Russia thing is so shady I can’t sieve anyone believes it.

    For a start, anyone remember this (Former First Lady still implicated in illegal use of FBI files during Clinton administration). The fact the Clintons got away with that and 20 years later came within a whisker of getting back in the Whitehouse doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence much will happen with the current illegal spying.

    The idea Obama WASN’T spying on politician enemies is hard to believe. That’s what proggs do. Im almost certain information gleaned from such spying is what convinced SCJ Roberts to rule on Obamacare the way he did. In my mind it explains a lot about the way Republicans act so cowardly also.

    As far as Russian hacks go, this (WikiLeaks Vault 7 Reveals CIA Can Disguise Hacks, Malware as Russian) kinda cr@p brings whole new suspicion on stuff like this (IRS believes massive data theft originated in Russia).

    When our intelligence services are corrupt, discerning truth is next to impossible. We live in a circus fun house, everything is smoke and mirrors.

    Leon (168f33)

  163. It also explains why Trump is so hated by the left. Everybody already knows all about the Donald, so their illegally obtained files on him have no power. They are reduced to making ridiculous stuff up about him, throwing against the wall, and helplessly watching it slide down into nothing.

    By the way, I heard the funniest line of the year the other day; know the difference between a garbanzo bean and a chickpea?

    Trump never had a garbanzo bean in his bed.

    Badda boom

    Leon (168f33)

  164. Remember how Trump made sure to control who knew the information on his election team when he got that brief about the Buzzkill documents? The ones Obama fished out to the reliable dupe McCain, to throw the stink off the true source.

    Dotting the eyes and crossing the tees before he pulled the trigger on Obama’s crime syndicate.

    Trump’s no fool. That’s why I have a hope Justice will be done on Obola.

    papertiger (c8116c)

  165. lol you’re a birther. Didn’t you get the memo, that was just to get the rubes onboard.

    Davethulhu (c75fb7)

  166. For Obama the truth is the lie undiscovered.

    papertiger (c8116c)


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