Obama Rebukes Marie Harf

[Guest post by hit and run*]

Former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Schultz published an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal in which they raised a number of significant questions about Obama's much self-heralded beginning of a plan to determine a potential decision to propose a perhaps binding agreement to produce a framework for . . . okay I'm lost here, let's just call it ObamaPeace.

Over at the Washington Free Beacon, we are treated to an exchange between AP reporter Matt Lee and State Department spokesperson Marie Harf related to the op-ed:

Harf sparred with AP reporter Matt Lee, interrupting him several times as he tried to get a reaction to the op-ed from the State Department.

“Really, you don’t think it’s nuanced?” Harf asked Lee.

“Is there a question or are you just commenting?” Harf replied. “I’m not going to go line by line.”

The Obama administration has repeatedly challenged critics of the deal to offer an alternative. This response has been used to rebut Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Republicans, foreign leaders, and even some from his own party.

“I didn’t hear a lot of alternatives. I heard a lot of–sort of a lot of big words and big thoughts in that piece, and certainly there is a place for that. But I didn’t hear a lot of alternatives about what they would do differently,” Harf said.

The good news for Harf is that Obama's words on this point are not all that big - only two three-syllable words in fact, so hopefully she can follow along. The bad news is the words are a rebuke to Harf's response to the Kissinger-Schultz op-ed.

Don’t tell me words don’t matter. I have a dream – just words words? We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal – just words? We have nothing to fear but fear itself – just words?  Just speeches? Don’t tell me words don’t matter!

Well, yes - that's 2008 Obama, of course.  Obama of 2015 thinks Marie Harf is sufficiently expert enough to be one of the leading spokespersons for his administration.

We'll give Harf this much: she makes for a pretty good cheerleader.

Link to Last Page of Thread.

Comments

[Stephanie]

first!

[Dave (in MA)]

Plus, they're like all old, 'n' stuff.

[clarice]

Harumph.

[Captain Hate]

So when did offering alternatives become an essential component of criticism?

[Some Guy]

So when did offering alternatives become an essential component of criticism?

January 2009

[narciso]

look if you've lost Mikey:

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/04/09/the-iran-deal-is-good-for-the-mullahs/

[James D.]

Here's an alternative. Keep the sanctions in place, tighten them, and let them, combined with the low current price of oil, bleed the Iranian regime dry.

Wait until the mullahs come back to the table begging, and negotiate w/ them from a position of strength.

And at the same time, employ covert action (and support the Israelis in any ops they undertake) to damage the Iranian nuclear program.

Seems like a reasonable plan to me.

[Frau Edith Steingehirn]

Little Harf'n Marie?

I love the re-issue of "Life in the WH with the Clintons." There are so many youngsters who were *not* aware enough to experience and endure the behavior of the former First Family.

[narciso]

as if enemy action wasn't already assumed

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2015/04/08/gop-foreign-policy-factions-tussle-for-sway-in-jeb-bush-campaign-team/?mod=newsreel

will they be calling Charles Freeman next?

[clarice]

That's what I'd do, but what do I know--I mean I'm stuck on big ideas and big words and in the words of Chris Matthews..well forget that. I think he just ended his failing career.

[henry]

What's a Walker recall petition signer to do now? try to join isis. Just following Obama's lead or something.

[Captain Hate]

From narc's link:

Former Secretary of State James Baker, who is advising Mr. Bush on foreign policy, caused a stir when he appeared before J Street, a group that describes itself as both pro-peace and pro-Israel, and criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to advance the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians and his apparent wavering on a two-state solution.

I guess objective reporting requires that you include the self description despite full knowledge that it's a steaming pile. As long as they don't title any of their subcommittees Final Solution.

[lyle]

Insty linked this. Has anyone read it?:

http://www.the-american-interest.com/2015/04/07/politics-as-bloodsport/

Final sentence:

An old professor of mine, a curious but wonderful fellow named E. Digby Baltzell, once remarked that the tragedy of American society in the 20th century was that the prodigious native energies of American religion had migrated into politics, to the detriment of both. A truer or more alarming nutshell analysis has yet to pass my eyes.

I beg to differ with the esteemed (and presumably much better educated than I) author and his "curious but wonderful" mentor. I think what has happened is that as the left has become more atheistic and virulently anti-God, politics have become it's religion with all the fervor and intolerance of apostacy that they find so distasteful in Christianity.

[NKvirusedandback]

Lyle-- profound and unfortunately all true.

[James D.]

lyle, I read the entire piece and I thought it was a steaming pile.

But then, I am becoming less patient and less tolerant all the time, so there you go.

[narciso]

there's a whole thread full of category error, that can be made from this one column, as the comments show,

[Miss Marple]

We are hard-wired for faith. When God is driven out of people's lives, something else moves in.

I have a very clear memory from 30 years ago of the goofy now ex-husband of a friend of mine, who had spent several long conversations with me telling me why Christianity was hogwash, fervently explaining how numerology was the answer to everything.

Hollywood is full of people like that. So is the press. In Hollywood they gravitate towards Gaia or Scientology. In the press, it's the worship of Obama and the democrat party.

It's just how things are in modern times.

[lyle]

You and me both, James.

One gets the feeling that Mr. Garfinkle probably had not a whit of concern about the vicious attacks on GWB's character. Now that mounting concerns with Precious are coming from both right and left, he thinks it's time to call for a truce. An accomodation that, like all dealings with progs, will vanish into the ether with an R in the WH again.

[lyle]

One thing more and I'll drop this bone:

Obama haters are equally certain that the President actually despises his own country and its history, and a certain subset of haters is as certain that he hates Israel and Jews and has conspired from the start to do irreparable harm to Israeli security and well-being.

This Garfinkle fella sure loves to beg the question, huh?

[narciso]

he was one of the Top Men with Powell and Condi, scared yet:

resident Obama acquitted himself very well with Mr. Friedman. Unless one thinks the President was knowingly lying through his teeth, he showed himself a master of the multifaceted political, technical, and even strategic issues at stake. Obviously, the President was in advocacy mode, and so now and then bent an interpretation in the desired direction. But this was no tall tale, no act of pandering, no substance-free exercise in debased partisan manipulation. He acknowledged the shortfalls of the past and the uncertain difficulties ahead. He offered up a reasonable balance of skepticism and hope on that score. The gist of his replies to Friedman’s mostly non-softball questions had all the markings of a logical argument, presented with sincerity and an unmistakable acceptance of personal responsibility. It was, in short, an act of leadership more than an act of mere salesmanship, and as such a relatively rare moment in a presidency whose foreign policy judgments have been mostly shallow and excessively partisan in motivation.

[Sue]

Of course his views on Israel differ from the right Rev. Wright's. he spent 20 years there and heard nothing. Stupid media.

[Appalled]

lyle:

The prodigious energies of American religion were very much a part of the 19th as well as the 20th century (abolitionists were animated by their faith, and surely Abe Lincoln was a Godly man in the best sense of the word), and those energies can even pop out in the rhetoric of our fashionably blase president. So the quotation sounds lovely, and is historically ignorant.

The language of moral thunder has been appropriated by the left -- but I am not sure I would attach much importance to that. Even the most noxious rock owes a debt to the gospel and church music it sprang from. It's the language and heritage of our country -- used by people who are probably too dense to recognize it,

[Rick Ballard]

James D.,

Iran is going to the Eurasian Co-Prosperity Sphere. The "big boys" among Global Village Idiots will be stuck with the loans extended by the thieving whores of the IMF/World Bank while the Chinese AIIB extends loans within Eurasia (including South America and Africa) with Russian armor and Chinese infantry guaranteeing repayment.

The ride on the return to reality is going to be a bit bumpy but there is no doubt many of us will arrive.

[Rick Ballard]

James D.,

Iran is going to the Eurasian Co-Prosperity Sphere. The "big boys" among Global Village Idiots will be stuck with the loans extended by the thieving whores of the IMF/World Bank while the Chinese AIIB extends loans within Eurasia (including South America and Africa) with Russian armor and Chinese infantry guaranteeing repayment.

The ride on the return to reality is going to be a bit bumpy but there is no doubt many of us will arrive.

[DrJ]

Do I understand the "framework" properly that the US would phase out its sanctions over a number of years, while the rest of the world would drop them immediately? Might there be any commercial implications to such a route? [/sarcasm]

[Miss Marple]

Lincoln Chafee is looking at a presidential run, saying Hillary's Iraq war vote disqualified her.

[Miss Marple]

Oops, forgot the link to the Chafee story.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_DEM_2016_CHAFEE?SITE=NCAGW&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2015-04-09-14-06-21

[lyle]

I essentially started skimming the essay when I got to this part that you quoted, narc:

The gist of his replies to Friedman’s mostly non-softball questions had all the markings of a logical argument, presented with sincerity and an unmistakable acceptance of personal responsibility.

Please. There isn't a reason under the sun to give either the idol, Precious, nor the idolator, Flathead, the benefit of the doubt in this exchange as does Garfinkle. And yet he does...

[Danube on iPad]

Got home last night; still catching up.

Clarice, what did Chris Matthews do?

[earnest progtard]

Lincoln Chafee is looking at a presidential run, saying Hillary's Iraq war vote disqualified her.

She was duped into a yes vote by that lying chimp!

[lyle]

Tingles let his Joo-Hatin' mask slip on air, Danube.

[Danube on iPad]

"those energies can even pop out in the rhetoric of our fashionably blase president. So the quotation sounds lovely, and is historically ignorant."

Balls. The robust energies of religion in America manifestly diminished in the latter half of the 20th century. To suggest that such national energy "pops out" in the occasional utterance of a cynical, deeply dishonest politician is simply absurd.

[Thomas Collins]

Ah, the Linc may throw his horseshoe into the ring. Linc and I traversed the storied concrete sidewalks of Providence, RI together in the 1970s. Well, not really together. Linc was a '75 Brown grad and I was a '76 Brown grad, but we travelled in different circles. I'll say this for Linc and his brother and sister swamp Yankees in Rhody: they aren't afraid to get their hands dirty (Linc attended horseshoeing school at Montana State University after his stint at Brown and worked as a farrier for several years). As POTUS material, however, I think not. I'd have more confidence in Bernie Sanders' ability to conduct American foreign policy than the Linc.

[clarice]

Dot, Hope you enjoyed the trip. MSNBC is trying to fill the void caused by the death of Father Coughlin:Chris Matthews: shadowy rootless cosmopolitan pro-Israeli groups are "piggish money people" https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=-wkjBRbnCbs
Or maybe Chris just wants to kill his wife's Congressional bid.

[Ann]

Dot

Here ya go:
http://pjmedia.com/eddriscoll/2015/04/07/nbc-anchor-calls-pro-israelis-piggish-money-people/

[Danube on iPad]

Thanks, C and A.

[clarice]

My pleasure.

[Appalled]

Danube:

The cadence of the black church is part of the Obama oratorical bag of tricks (as it was part of slick Willies). I think he uses it less and less as his Presidency goes on (and that's unfortunate, frankly), but it does "pop out" from time to time. Matter of fact, Hit's quotation was a pretty good example of its use.

I think you missed part of what I was trying to say -- the music of religion remains in the way we speak, even if we have forgotten all about the content.

[Extraneus]

The gist of his replies to Friedman’s mostly non-softball questions had all the markings of a logical argument, presented with sincerity and an unmistakable acceptance of personal responsibility.

Imagine if Barack Obama had to face mostly non-softball questions like the British Prime Minister does every Wednesday from 12 to 12:30.

[Threadkiller]

Oratorical gasbag.
http://www.breitbart.com/video/2015/03/26/obama-mocks-gop-tax-cuts-for-fiddy-people/

[jimmyk]

Following up on Lyle's response to Althouse's ridiculous statement:

No one is ready or good enough to be President, and yet we must have somebody.

Guess what, patsy? Some of us felt like this, oh, I don't know, seven fricking years ago

So there's something different about now than any other time, that suddenly no one is ready? Of course not. It's like climate change--always there, but somehow this time is different.

Maybe it's just Althouse unable or unwilling to articulate a reason why she's uncomfortable with Walker or other Republicans, so she makes some sweeping statement like that. I can't think of many candidates in recent years who are more "ready" than Walker. And of course the resume doesn't always mean much: Bush 41 was always said to be so qualified, and how much did that do for him?

[Jane]

TC,

I always see Linc as a wus, so that horshoeing story is funny.

[jimmyk]

p.s. the discussion of Althouse was from the last thread.

[Beasts of England]

Looks like Gentle Ben has finally lost his putting stroke. But, he still has cool hair, so all is not lost...

[Danube on iPad]

"the music of religion remains in the way we speak, even if we have forgotten all about the content."

I agree with that, but I think it is hardly responsive to the initial point.

[Threadkiller]

Maybe it is Althouse trolling for page hits by being provocatively stupid.

[Appalled]

Danube:

Lyle's point is that the Left has become anti-religion, while keeping the moral thunder of the Godly. I think I did respond to that, actually. As Americans, we can't seem to help ourselves.

Take comfort in the fact that, if said leftists have a self-reflective moment, THAt has got to bother the bejeesus out of them...

[Jack is Back! On his iPad by the pool, back from Flagler Museum)]

Off to Worth Avenue not to shop so much but to see some childhood friends who still have a store here. Back in the 20's to the 50's the summer store merchant's in Southampton would pack up after Labor Day and move everything down to their winter season store in Palm Beach. We did the same thing until 1952 when my grandfather passed.

My friends growing up decided to just stick it out all year in Palm Beach. One of the more famous stores on Worth Avenue and they have done well.

[Cecil Turner]

Here's a plan: keep the Iranians from getting nukes (which is supposedly Obama's aim).

Necessary corollary: keep the Iranians from establishing a uranium enrichment program (notably absent from Obama's plan).

Method: enforce strict sanctions until an agreement is reached; credibly threaten military force in the event of recalcitrance.

[exdemocrat]

"The gist of his replies to Friedman’s mostly non-softball questions had all the markings of a logical argument, presented with sincerity and an unmistakable acceptance of personal responsibility"

- pretty good description of the con man's art, no?

[clarice]

Omri Ceren, The Israel Project:
Just making sure that you had Khamenei's speech from today (transcript via the Foundation for Defense of Democracies). It was a barn-burner generally - he ruled out cooperation with the US and downplayed the prospects for a nuclear deal - but those parts won't be any more problematic than his "Death to America" chants, which the White House has found ways to maneuver around. Instead, the headache for the Obama administration is going to come from what Khamenei said specifically about the Lausanne announcement and about post-Lausanne negotiations.

(1) Politically, the most damage will probably come from Khamenei's declaration that nothing was agreed to at Lausanne, and that White House claims otherwise are "incorrect and contrary to the substance of the negotiations." The statement is likely to boost increasingly vocal claims that the administration exaggerated negotiators’ progress in order to forestall Congressional action:

There are those who ask, why has the Leader not made his positions known concerning the latest nuclear negotiations? The reason for the Leader not taking position is that there is nothing to take a position about. The officials of the state and those responsible in the nuclear field say no job is done and there is no necessity... If the question is posed to me: ‘Are you for or against the latest nuclear negotiations,’ I would answer that I'm neither in favor nor opposed to it, since nothing has happened yet... All the trouble arises when the details will be discussed... the White House, only two hours after the end of the negotiations, published a few pages, which in most regards was contrary to the realities, explaining the negotiations... they were producing a statement which was faulty, incorrect and contrary to the substance of the negotiations.

(2) Substantively, Khamenei's new red lines - if US negotiators ultimately accept them - would detonate the possibility of a verifiable, enforceable deal. The main areas involve sanctions and verification.

On sanctions, Khamenei declared that all sanctions would have to be lifted at the time any deal is signed. The scenario that would trump the phase-out which the White House has declared is necessary to keep the Iranians honest.

Instant annulment of all sanction is one of the demands of our officials... This issue is very important, and the sanctions must all be completely removed on the day of the agreement... Should the removal of the sanctions be related to a process, the foundation of the negotiations would be senseless, since the goal of the negotiations was to remove the sanctions

On verification, he blasted inspections of military sites and ruled out any "unconventional inspection or monitoring" in general. The military sites demand would gut the IAEA's ability to ensure the Iranians aren't enriching at military bases like Fordow (which they've done) or developing nuclear warheads at military bases like Parchin (which they've also done). Administration officials have been talking about "managed access" to such sites, which is less than what former IAEA officials say the agency needs and less than the "snap inspections" lawmakers were told negotiators would bring home - but still more than Khamenei is willing to give. The "unconventional" demand would prohibit the unprecedented inspection regime President Obama has emphasized is necessary to prevent the Iranians from cheating:

One must absolutely not allow infiltration of the security and defense realm of the state on the pretext of inspection[s], and the military authorities of the state are not - under any circumstance - allowed to let in foreigners to this realm under the pretext of inspection, or stop the country's defense development... Any unconventional inspection or monitoring which would make Iran into a special case, would not be acceptable, and the monitoring must only be as monitoring regimes taking place all over the world and nothing more.

There's a side debate that's been happening in the policy community about whether Rouhani and Zarif have the political muscle - even in theory, assuming they want to - to force the IRGC to open its facilities to inspections. It somewhat coalesced in Lausanne after the WSJ revealed that the US was ready to cave on forcing the Iranians to come clean on the potential military dimensions of their atomic program. Khamenei’s speech will be another check in the ‘no’ column.

[Old Lurker]

"supposedly" being the operative word, Cecil.

[sbw]

TC, being a Brown grad ought to disqualify anyone from POTUS. Nothing personal. Some nice people but too many I have met are stwange. Vewwy vewwy stwange.

[Jane]

Dot,

How was your trip?

[daddy]

Finally watched the Rand Paul interview with Savanah Guthrie. I thought he did great, and I don't even see where he was supposedly "prickly" or whatever other negative adjective they want to use to try to characterize him as unfit for the Presidency.

His attitude came across to me as simply one of "matter of factness;" without belligerence or sexism or any other manufactured nonsensical trait---pretty much exactly the way adults have expected other adults to respond for the majority of the history of this country.

[Some Guy]

Take comfort in the fact that, if said leftists have a self-reflective moment, THAt has got to bother the bejeesus out of them...

They're usually too busy patting themselves on the back to have a reflective moment, let alone a self-reflective one.

The closest they come is from admiring themselves in the clearcoat after taking the Prius to the car wash.

[Ignatz]

In honor of DoT's return; Indianara Carvalho crowned Brazil's Miss BumBum 2014.

Yeah it's a few months old but her buns are still poppin fresh.
BTW my vote would have been for the pre-tourney fave on the far right.

[Captain Hate]

Yeah daddy, I'm with you and against Tammy Bruce's take on Rand because I don't have a problem with pushing back against the manipulative way the questions get framed.

[Miss Marple]

I don't understand why they think Rand was so terrible to Savannah Guthrie. I didn't get it last night when Megyn showed a clip, either.

I personally think it's a manufactured issue. If that's too tough for Savannah, she should have worked for an Iranian boss at a coal company like I did.

For 40 years women have wanted tobe treated with respect and allowed to compete with men. Now, all of a sudden, the left acts like we should all retire to our fainting couches whenever a man doesn't agree with a woman reporter.

Bah.

[lyle]

Lyle's point is that the Left has become anti-religion, while keeping the moral thunder of the Godly.

Ahem. Whatever "thunder" the left dispenses, it has nothing to do with morality as it was once understood.

[glasater]

Frau-

I so appreciate the teacher in you and in helping me learn how to address properly former dignitaries and elected office holders :-)

As far as Altohouse is concerned (from the previous thread) have never been able to read her posts after watching the video she took of the protests in Madison WI starring herself and son. Ig was spot on re the whining.

I do check in on comments there from time to time as Breitbart used to do with Ace.

[lyle]

They all look like trannies if you bother to look at their faces, Ig.

[daddy]

Here's Wretchard for those who missed ExDem's link on the previous thread:

Iran Pulls the Rug From Under Obama

Iran’s president on Thursday said Tehran will not sign a final nuclear deal unless world powers lift economic sanctions imposed on the country immediately....

“We will not sign any deal unless all sanctions are lifted on the same day,” Rouhani said, according to Reuters. “We want a win-win deal for all parties involved in the nuclear talks,” he said.

Rouhani added “the Iranian nation has been and will be the victor in the negotiations.”

Pretty big words, but even Harf should be able to understand 'em.

[MarkO]

daddy, the charge was "thin skinned." Honest.

Projection from the Obama camp is rampant.

[lyle]

I hope the next R to get "interviewed" by Savannah states at the outset, "Before we go on, I'd like to point out to your audience that you're married to Al Gore's former chief of staff. Further, I like you to admit you're a registered Democrat. Thanks. Now, let's proceed, shall we?"

[lyle]

But, of course:

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/238282-left-rallies-to-protect-obama-on-iran-nuke-deal

[Miss Marple]

You know, Carly Fiorina should weigh in on whether Rand was too hard on the reporters.

I bet she would have a good comment.

[new lurker]

Totally agree, daddy.

[daddy]

Of course his views on Israel differ from the right Rev. Wright's. he spent 20 years there and heard nothing.

Sue,

And obviously heard nothing "Less than Loving" from that Christian, so naturally that would explain Obama's lack of concern about "GOD D### America!" screamed from the pulpit.

[lyle]

You knew this would happen, right?

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/416684/will-rands-temper-hurt-him-joel-gehrke

[Dave (in MA)]

Can we replace Rinsed Prius with Lyle?

[Miss Marple]

"Every time Al Sharpton opens his mouth he shoots to new heights of ignorance."

Sheriff David Clarke on Cavuto just now.

[Beasts of England]

Ernie!!

[Jane]

Rand made me cringe a bit - it had nothing to do with Savannah being a woman, I think he should have started laughing while she was going on and one. I was thrilled that he took her on tho, I just didn't like the whole shushing thing.

[pagar]

Presidential?

http://weaselzippers.us/220187-joe-being-joe-man-who-is-a-heartbeat-away-from-the-presidency-puts-babys-pacifier-in-his-mouth/

[clarice]

From our friend:
Saudis have upped their capacity to pump to new record levels and are now implementing it. The story of "maintaining market share", I believe, is pure BS out of the Acela Corridor refusing to want to see what is coming. If sanctions ARE indeed lifted, the stored crude off of Iran in hundreds of tankers will be met by some of the lowest delivery prices in years, if the Saudis can pull it off. The Saudis are looking to restrict as much cash as possible to Iran, they have very, very little of it. The next leg down in oil is virtually ensured to arrive in the coming months, if not weeks. Here's the link:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-04-09/saudi-arabia-going-it-why-saudis-just-boosted-oil-production-record-high

[daddy]

Watching that Mathews clip he comes across to me as very close to insane. Worth taking a moment to compare his foul mouthed angry rant with the calm demeanor Rand Paul exhibited in his mature response to Savannah Guthrie.

You tell me which one's "thin skinned" or "prickly?"

Ernie Ells at -6.

Off to training. Ughh:(

[lyle]

Can we replace Rinsed Prius with Lyle?

Am I missing something? Have I been commenting too much?

[Miss Marple]

Off to the auction! I am looking for pseudo-Baroque to sell to Russians and Eastern Europeans. I don't have much which qualifies in my garage.

See you all later!

[daddy]

Have I been commenting too much?

No Lyle, but you have been hogging the bathtub:)

[lyle]

Aww...

[Dave (in MA)]

Lyle, just based on your 4:13 it sounds like you'd better represent the GOP than Prince Rhombus or whatever the F his name is.

[Rick Ballard]

"Have I been commenting too much?"

No, Lyle. It's the lithp. Or maybe the stutter. Definitely not the hump, walleye or goiter.

Probably.

[lyle]

Thanks, Dave. I didn't get the play on the RNC dude's name. You can see how I might have been thrown off by some guy's bit 3:54:

The closest they come is from admiring themselves in the clearcoat after taking the Prius to the car wash.

But I do like "Prince Rhombus."

[lyle]

I thought we were not going to bring those...peculiarities back up, Mr. Ballard...

[daddy]

And if any Republican had been responding to a question from Chris Matthews on that show segment, what would have been the proper demeanor the MSM thinks the R should have adopted?

Meek? Mild? Quiescent? Maybe simply to foolishly nod one's head as Freidman does every time Obama speaks and acquiesce to all Matthew's points, whatever they are? Seriously, what would the Left consider acceptable behavior in responding to a Matthews question, and why would the behavior of the R be the topic, and not the totally unacceptable behavior of Matthews?

In the long run Matthews hatred of Conservatives is probably not any different than that of the Savannahs of the world, but he simply no longer can contain it within himself. He is unmasked, and nuts.

[anonamom]

Let me say this yet again--Joe Biden is brain damaged from the bleed he had years ago.
Without a doubt. Unquestionably--he lost brain matter when he ruptured that artery.

[Captain Hate]

Hard to believe Tweety used to guest host for Rush.

[Captain Hate]

I've never seen Biden on television when I didn't think he was at least a bit "off"; and usually it's a lot more than a bit.

[Skoot]

Tiger's playing great. He's only 9 or 10 shots behind the young strong guys.

[Extraneus]

Who's the dude on the upper left?

[FTL]

Let me say this yet again--Joe Biden is brain damaged from the bleed he had years ago.

Along those lines, has anyone else noticed an anecdotal correlation between botox and bizarre behavior/beliefs?

If so, which direction does that causal relationship run?

[Extraneus]

The White House Now Features a Gender-Neutral Restroom

[lyle]

A little bit of Wretchard:

Obama says his doctrine is “we will engage,” but it looks like the actual doctrine is “we will be fooled.” Of course they insist that nobody will make a fool of them, however they reserve the right to make fools of themselves.

It’s painful to watch. It’s hard not to think that Iran is out to humiliate Barack Hussein Obama. With this calculated slight, they not only want to wipe the floor with his reputation, they want to see him crawl. And he probably will. Obama gave them Iraq, allowed Iran into Syria, permitted Hezbollah to take over Lebanon, and let them run him out of Yemen all in the expectation that Rouhani would give him his “game changer,” his “once in a lifetime deal.”

And now, after he’s handed in all that earnest money and proclaimed his purchase to the world, they won’t deliver the merchandise. He’s been had, pure and simple. They gave him a special surprise gift and he’s proudly opened it in front of relatives and friends, only to discover it contains a pile of … .

But at least he's not going to let his real enemies get the best of him.

[Captain Haiku]

Rand Paul pushes back
Chattering classes react
Spell on fainting couch

[Extraneus]

“The White House allows staff and guests to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity," said White House spokesman Jeff Tiller.

[Frau Poschweck]

glasater - I was not aware of the "proper" application of titles. It just kept bothering me more and more during my adulthood that a sense of elitism and privilege coincided with the use of titles. Give me Cincinnatus who returned to his farm with no further need of adoration.

I'm expecting Gessler's hat to appear any day now in downtown Cleoville.

[Extraneus]

“The White House allows staff and guests to use restrooms consistent with their gender identity," said White House spokesman Jeff Tiller.

[Rick Ballard]

Lyle,

I was just trying to reassure you the minor peculiarities are of little import here at JOM. You'll notice I made no mention of the harelip because I know you're very sensitive about it.

[Frau Poschweck]

anonamom - lest we forget, Hillary! had a great fall and saw double for an undisclosed period. Double devices, double dipping, double crossing, double billing, double trouble.

Well haikued, CH.