Great stuff as usual, Roy, but one thing-- Ryan Cooper isn't a Republican, or a conservative, or a wingnut. He's The Week's left wing, and shares progressives' longstanding distrust of Cuomo (like yours!)
Very, very well said. I think the GOP hypocrisy accusation against Dems about sexual harassment comes from the same place as their rage when white liberals support BLM and racial equity. They themselves can’t conceive that any person would REALLY support such things, so they assume it must be just social justice warrior posing.
They lack morals and political policies (other than self-aggrandizement), yes, but the also lack imagination and self-reflection. I mean, the party that raised up Donald fucking Trump to the highest office in the land can’t be very good at examining their own beliefs and recalibrating when necessary.
As for Cuomo, he sounds like a standard-issue sex pest and should be gone. With these guys, as soon as the second accusation surfaces you know the floodgates are about to open.
Cuomo's arrogance and ambition have made him a lot of enemies over the years. His "don't I sound like a really loud version of Mario?" oratory style was always enough for me. The Independent Democratic Conference bullshit, where a bunch of Democratic state senators broke away to caucus with Republicans, turning Democratic majority control over to Republicans, all with Cuomo's tacit approval and something he exploited, made him an even bigger target. With the nursing home deaths cover-up suddenly there's blood in the water, so he's ripe for something like sexual harrassment accusations. (The latter have been particularly weak tea IMO -- A strip poker joke? "Can I kiss you?" Although I would have loved to hear Trump defend himself by saying "I always ask first, 'Can I grab your pussy?' Then I do it anyway.')
I wouldn't be sorry to see him defeated, but I'd hate to see any Democrat resign over the current shite. Not when all the Madison Cawthorns in GOP-land remain in office.
I was with you until the bit about Republicans trying to be less berserk than Trump. Instead I think they embrace the suck. Nunes, Jordan, Cruz, Rubio, Johnson, Taylor, Paxton, etc. Not to mention my MAGA neighbors (no masks! let my kid play sports! impeach Biden!). There’s a level of amorality among Republicans that isn’t unique with Trump. They love him because he’s as selfish, spiteful and ignorant as they are.
"I think all politicians I don’t like should resign, and for the same reason: because I don’t like them."
Similarly, I think all Republicans (in an ideal universe, not suggesting any acts by anyone) should be smite (smited? smote?). From a certain a POV, one can argue that the pandemic was a plague from god but the Republicans didn't get the message, choosing to respond with various forms of denial.
As for Andy:
He got all of Mario's bad traits, none of the good (although other than being eloquent, I cannot recall what he did actually good; I think there some things): Petty, vindictive, arrogant.
That said, the first two women are complaining about him being a pig and a dick, a scumbag, if you will. The third, of course, is complaining of Andy being handsy -- committing an actual battery -- but, TBH, it was at a reception which is a little bit like a parallel universe with slightly different rules, if you know what I mean. But my point is, as a licensed asshole, I find resignation a disproportionate punishment. Better to be successfully primaried by someone electable because god knows NY's Republicans are as awful as all the rest. I should say, that position is based on being an asshole so if someone seriously thinks being an asshole-while-Democrat deserves being forced to resign for what Andy did, okay.
As for Kathleen Rice: Previously Nassau County DA with a highly sketchy record, apropos prosecutors in higher office. So her opinion re Andy, well, fuck her opinion.
"So their shtick is to claim Cuomo proves liberals are all hypocrites..." Mike Allen, one of the DC press corps' great fellationists (or is that fellaters??) said that by not insisting on Andy's resignation, the dems are engaging in complete hypocrisy. Inexplicably, Allen neglected to cite a single supporting instance. (I checked on the link to confirm.) Again: Dunno that resignation is the proper response for being a pig or piece of shit.
As for the Dr. Seuss thing, does anyone who doesn't make a living spewing BS 4 $$ or the idiots addicted to being exposed to said BS care that the owners of the copyrights decides to stop having six poorly selling books published anymore? Or that maybe said copyright owners feel that said books are bad for the brand?
And I said at some blog's comments section, offering a solution because I'm not just an asshole:
"The estate should sell limited rights to some conservatives to re-illustrate and republish the books without anything on them identifying or reference to Seuss. Might be of less value to the conservatives than the real things; still, there'd be a market for them. I know it wouldn't be the same to them. Still."
I'm concerned that sexuality is being criminalized for political advantage and not just in the political sphere. I also don't see Cuomo's fumblings as comparable in any way to the sinister power play of the sadist Drumpf. 'Can I have a kiss?' used to be and still should be an acceptable proposition. It certainly isn't similar or really comparable to an abusive situation except when the paradigm is being stretched to make a case.
Sacrificing capable people on the ever-expanding altars of political correctness and sexual ethical mazes seems to be a game only Democrats are playing.
Of course the perfectly ruthless opposition will exploit it at every opportunity.
The closest things Republicans have to a consistent principle is their belief that white guys (especially rich, powerful ones) should be able to do or say whatever they want, without any criticism or consequences. However, the world is starting to change in ways that don't favor them. They can't really stop this process, so they do the next best thing, which is voting for politicians who make a big show out of rejecting human decency.
The core principle of Reaganism, still the dominant religion of the GOP, is that the federal government is inherently bad and is the problem with America not part of any solution to America's problems. That being the case, for the GOP, the non-defense functions of the federal government must be systematically dismantled.
This means, in turn, that the GOP cannot propose any program, law or regulation to address issues that arise at a national level. That's why, when the GOP is in power, they attempt to dismantle any regulation or program that serves the national public, which usually leaves the country in a terrible state that the Democrats have to repair - all without any cooperation from the GOP (indeed continued sabotage).
This would seem to be completely self-defeating for the GOP. And it would be except for their ability to eliminate or suppress the voting franchise just enough to keep them in power and to appeal to outright white supremacy and misogyny as their appeals to their voters.. And the sad fact is that this situation will likely continue if not get worse in the indefinite future.
We will be feeling the impact of the catastrophic 2010 mid-term elections and subsequent redistricting for decades to come.
"Republicans don’t really have a moral position on this, or even a political one, because they don’t have any morals or politics at all."
I don't know what that means, to not have any politics at all. If you mean, they have no intention regarding, or ideology about, contributing to the public weal, yes, that's true. But isn't politics, at least at first, about power? Who gets it, and how? In that respect, their politics consists, now more than ever, in duping the rubes via demagogy and lies, and suppressing the votes of everybody else. I don't see the ostensible non-plug-ugly, gentlemanly and ladylike contingents (Cornyn, Blackburn, Mitch, etc.) uncomfortable with that. Trump himself is an embarrassment to them, but following his lead isn't *that* different from biz as usual, is it?
“But we don’t think enough about the upside: how bad it is for the Republicans themselves. They’re all so worried about looking like less of a berserker than Trump that they can’t think straight.”
It’s a great point and one I do think about. We might well be suffering through DJT’s second term if he had just gone out and tossed a few rolls of paper towels to Pandemic America. But he was too much of a sociopath, too thin skinned to back off his original cockamamie story, too frightened about yet another inheritance (Obama’s economy)he was about to squander to believe in (checks notes) a virus?
Ah, the ancient plea for a sane conservative party. You gotta wonder if the Republicans ever considered what the long-term cost of signing up with Nixon's Southern Strategy could be. I suppose they thought it was the best way to avoid the Birchers taking over, but I'd bet serious money they would have laughed at the idea that the rubes they were peddling this stuff to would take over their Party. How do you like your blue-eyed boy now, Jesse Helms.
Have you seen Republican women? Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boehbert are the tip of the iceberg. Down here, we have Yvette Harrell. They're everywhere, like cockroaches.
Great stuff as usual, Roy, but one thing-- Ryan Cooper isn't a Republican, or a conservative, or a wingnut. He's The Week's left wing, and shares progressives' longstanding distrust of Cuomo (like yours!)
Very, very well said. I think the GOP hypocrisy accusation against Dems about sexual harassment comes from the same place as their rage when white liberals support BLM and racial equity. They themselves can’t conceive that any person would REALLY support such things, so they assume it must be just social justice warrior posing.
They lack morals and political policies (other than self-aggrandizement), yes, but the also lack imagination and self-reflection. I mean, the party that raised up Donald fucking Trump to the highest office in the land can’t be very good at examining their own beliefs and recalibrating when necessary.
As for Cuomo, he sounds like a standard-issue sex pest and should be gone. With these guys, as soon as the second accusation surfaces you know the floodgates are about to open.
Cuomo's arrogance and ambition have made him a lot of enemies over the years. His "don't I sound like a really loud version of Mario?" oratory style was always enough for me. The Independent Democratic Conference bullshit, where a bunch of Democratic state senators broke away to caucus with Republicans, turning Democratic majority control over to Republicans, all with Cuomo's tacit approval and something he exploited, made him an even bigger target. With the nursing home deaths cover-up suddenly there's blood in the water, so he's ripe for something like sexual harrassment accusations. (The latter have been particularly weak tea IMO -- A strip poker joke? "Can I kiss you?" Although I would have loved to hear Trump defend himself by saying "I always ask first, 'Can I grab your pussy?' Then I do it anyway.')
I wouldn't be sorry to see him defeated, but I'd hate to see any Democrat resign over the current shite. Not when all the Madison Cawthorns in GOP-land remain in office.
I was with you until the bit about Republicans trying to be less berserk than Trump. Instead I think they embrace the suck. Nunes, Jordan, Cruz, Rubio, Johnson, Taylor, Paxton, etc. Not to mention my MAGA neighbors (no masks! let my kid play sports! impeach Biden!). There’s a level of amorality among Republicans that isn’t unique with Trump. They love him because he’s as selfish, spiteful and ignorant as they are.
"I think all politicians I don’t like should resign, and for the same reason: because I don’t like them."
Similarly, I think all Republicans (in an ideal universe, not suggesting any acts by anyone) should be smite (smited? smote?). From a certain a POV, one can argue that the pandemic was a plague from god but the Republicans didn't get the message, choosing to respond with various forms of denial.
As for Andy:
He got all of Mario's bad traits, none of the good (although other than being eloquent, I cannot recall what he did actually good; I think there some things): Petty, vindictive, arrogant.
That said, the first two women are complaining about him being a pig and a dick, a scumbag, if you will. The third, of course, is complaining of Andy being handsy -- committing an actual battery -- but, TBH, it was at a reception which is a little bit like a parallel universe with slightly different rules, if you know what I mean. But my point is, as a licensed asshole, I find resignation a disproportionate punishment. Better to be successfully primaried by someone electable because god knows NY's Republicans are as awful as all the rest. I should say, that position is based on being an asshole so if someone seriously thinks being an asshole-while-Democrat deserves being forced to resign for what Andy did, okay.
As for Kathleen Rice: Previously Nassau County DA with a highly sketchy record, apropos prosecutors in higher office. So her opinion re Andy, well, fuck her opinion.
"So their shtick is to claim Cuomo proves liberals are all hypocrites..." Mike Allen, one of the DC press corps' great fellationists (or is that fellaters??) said that by not insisting on Andy's resignation, the dems are engaging in complete hypocrisy. Inexplicably, Allen neglected to cite a single supporting instance. (I checked on the link to confirm.) Again: Dunno that resignation is the proper response for being a pig or piece of shit.
As for the Dr. Seuss thing, does anyone who doesn't make a living spewing BS 4 $$ or the idiots addicted to being exposed to said BS care that the owners of the copyrights decides to stop having six poorly selling books published anymore? Or that maybe said copyright owners feel that said books are bad for the brand?
And I said at some blog's comments section, offering a solution because I'm not just an asshole:
"The estate should sell limited rights to some conservatives to re-illustrate and republish the books without anything on them identifying or reference to Seuss. Might be of less value to the conservatives than the real things; still, there'd be a market for them. I know it wouldn't be the same to them. Still."
I'm concerned that sexuality is being criminalized for political advantage and not just in the political sphere. I also don't see Cuomo's fumblings as comparable in any way to the sinister power play of the sadist Drumpf. 'Can I have a kiss?' used to be and still should be an acceptable proposition. It certainly isn't similar or really comparable to an abusive situation except when the paradigm is being stretched to make a case.
Sacrificing capable people on the ever-expanding altars of political correctness and sexual ethical mazes seems to be a game only Democrats are playing.
Of course the perfectly ruthless opposition will exploit it at every opportunity.
Ugh, Lucianne Goldberg. I’d forgotten about that shambling, malevolent gossip who whelped Jonah Goldberg.
The closest things Republicans have to a consistent principle is their belief that white guys (especially rich, powerful ones) should be able to do or say whatever they want, without any criticism or consequences. However, the world is starting to change in ways that don't favor them. They can't really stop this process, so they do the next best thing, which is voting for politicians who make a big show out of rejecting human decency.
No worries. I can tell a vent when I read one!
And although the Internet sucks for this, i'm sending supportive vibes.
"Oh, you say you're against sexual harassment? Then why does sexual harassment still exist? Guess you're a hypocrite, sugar tits."
The core principle of Reaganism, still the dominant religion of the GOP, is that the federal government is inherently bad and is the problem with America not part of any solution to America's problems. That being the case, for the GOP, the non-defense functions of the federal government must be systematically dismantled.
This means, in turn, that the GOP cannot propose any program, law or regulation to address issues that arise at a national level. That's why, when the GOP is in power, they attempt to dismantle any regulation or program that serves the national public, which usually leaves the country in a terrible state that the Democrats have to repair - all without any cooperation from the GOP (indeed continued sabotage).
This would seem to be completely self-defeating for the GOP. And it would be except for their ability to eliminate or suppress the voting franchise just enough to keep them in power and to appeal to outright white supremacy and misogyny as their appeals to their voters.. And the sad fact is that this situation will likely continue if not get worse in the indefinite future.
We will be feeling the impact of the catastrophic 2010 mid-term elections and subsequent redistricting for decades to come.
"Republicans don’t really have a moral position on this, or even a political one, because they don’t have any morals or politics at all."
I don't know what that means, to not have any politics at all. If you mean, they have no intention regarding, or ideology about, contributing to the public weal, yes, that's true. But isn't politics, at least at first, about power? Who gets it, and how? In that respect, their politics consists, now more than ever, in duping the rubes via demagogy and lies, and suppressing the votes of everybody else. I don't see the ostensible non-plug-ugly, gentlemanly and ladylike contingents (Cornyn, Blackburn, Mitch, etc.) uncomfortable with that. Trump himself is an embarrassment to them, but following his lead isn't *that* different from biz as usual, is it?
“But we don’t think enough about the upside: how bad it is for the Republicans themselves. They’re all so worried about looking like less of a berserker than Trump that they can’t think straight.”
It’s a great point and one I do think about. We might well be suffering through DJT’s second term if he had just gone out and tossed a few rolls of paper towels to Pandemic America. But he was too much of a sociopath, too thin skinned to back off his original cockamamie story, too frightened about yet another inheritance (Obama’s economy)he was about to squander to believe in (checks notes) a virus?
Ah, the ancient plea for a sane conservative party. You gotta wonder if the Republicans ever considered what the long-term cost of signing up with Nixon's Southern Strategy could be. I suppose they thought it was the best way to avoid the Birchers taking over, but I'd bet serious money they would have laughed at the idea that the rubes they were peddling this stuff to would take over their Party. How do you like your blue-eyed boy now, Jesse Helms.
Have you seen Republican women? Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boehbert are the tip of the iceberg. Down here, we have Yvette Harrell. They're everywhere, like cockroaches.