October 30, 2022

"With his usual level of class, Donald Trump put out a message of sympathy to the family of Jerry Lee Lewis, 'the Killer' of rock ’n’ roll, who died Friday at age 87, but said nothing all day about the Pelosi family."

Maureen Dowd takes a ridiculously cheap shot at Donald Trump, in "The Pelosis and a Haunted America" (NYT).

There is no general principle that if you talk about anything, you must talk about everything in proportion. It's a fake principle relied on only to criticize people you want to criticize anyway. 

But even if it were a general principle, Trump was at least arguably following it. Jerry Lee Lewis was a great cultural icon, and nothing is bigger than Death. 

By contrast, Paul Pelosi is a significant political spouse, and the attack on him was weird and scary, but it's also a confusing story that is hard to react to. We hope he's recovering. We hope all injured people are recovering. We're horrified at the violence. We deplore all violence.

Does it seem that there needs to be some statement about the political climate in America? Something like: Could everyone please tone it down? Well, once you get that far, speculating about what to say about Paul Pelosi, you can see why Trump's best choice was to say nothing. He's not going to tone down his rhetoric.

Of course, he is criticized for saying nothing.

65 comments:

gilbar said...

serious Question of 'class'.. What did Pelosi's daughter say about Rand Paul being attacked?
oh, here it is:
Pelosi’s daughter, Christine Pelosi, wrote on Twitter in response to Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) announcing that he was going into quarantine: “Rand Paul’s neighbor was right.”

wendybar said...

Pelosi wants to punch Trump for the mess she caused on January 6th, and you want him to grovel to her and her husband. Did she ever come out and condemn the Maxine Waters of the left when they were verbally attacking Trump and his supporters telling them they aren't wanted here?? Maybe if Nancy did her job and didn't push people buttons with all of her hatred, he might have. But when it seems like it was a sexual romp gone wrong...it isn't really something Trump or anybody else should get into. Nancy has the problem. Let her figure it out.

gilbar said...

There's an old saying: If you're not going to say something nice; don't say anything at all

tim maguire said...

Of course Dowd is desperate for everybody to make their Pelosi statements now. The media/Democrat storyline is crumbling almost as fast as they can build it. Who knows what somebody might say if they wait even one day to make their statement?

Humperdink said...

Not surprising that Trump did respond to the Paul Pealosi assault. He was blamed right off the bat, or hammer in this case, for the incident. If Trump had responded in any way, the left would have vilified him no matter how sympathetic the words.

Kate said...

I assume the Left believes this was Trump's fault with his rhetoric and his overthrowing of democracy. Of course Dowd would expect some form of repentance from her villain. I expect my political villain, Biden, to admit how he's trashed the economy and edged near WW3 with his intemperance. We're all doomed to talk at cross purposes, misunderstand one another, and solve nothing.

rhhardin said...

We're horrified at the violence. We deplore all violence.

"The Blessings of Violence" chapter 5 of _From the Wrong Side: A Paradoxical Approach to Psychiatry_, Adolf Guggenbuhl-Craig (1995)

BUMBLE BEE said...

Hesdlines reminded me of Martin Mull's "Dancin In thr Nude"..

Temujin said...

For once, Trump did the right thing by not stepping into this. Unlike Nancy, who showed nothing but classlessness during the entirety of Trump's Presidency. Most famously as she ripped up his great speech at the State of the Union, in front of the world, making the speech about her, and not the nation.

This Paul Pelosi thing has some very weird edges to it, still to be answered. Or covered up.

wendybar said...

THIS.... Professor Jacobson has a rational view.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2022/10/paul-pelosi-attack-follow-the-evidence-not-the-media-spin/

traditionalguy said...

The Donald has everyone panicked. It’s getting funny to watch. And all the guy did was blather the truth out in the midst of a house of cards construction of lies. And he’s back.

Gusty Winds said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jersey Fled said...

Did someone named Pelosi die last week?

Gusty Winds said...

Somebody should really do something about all those right wing MAGA fascists who live in hippie nudist colonies in Berkeley, California.

We should probably be on the lookout for the same type of people in Madison, WI. They’re everywhere.

Sally327 said...

There is no way Trump could offer even a generic statement of concern and good wishes because Dowd and others would immediately condemn him (correctly) for insincerity.

Nancy Pelosi openly loathes Trump, has always treated him with contempt and derision and has consistently encouraged the rest of us to despise him as well. And right back at her. Even if Trump managed to say something that wouldn't sound completely phony about the attack on Paul Pelosi, it would be a trap because the Democrats and the media would simply treat it as acknowledging complicity in some way. Because he didn't include an apology.

StoughtonSconnie said...

Hmmm, since we’re talking proportional response, wondering whether Maureen called out grandees on the left for reacting to the attack on Gabby Giffords but not Rand Paul or the threatened assassination of Justice Kavanaugh. I say wondering because it’s Sunday morning and I am hoping someone else did the legwork of checking that. I have no desire to expose myself to that much Maureen Dowd on a Sunday.

hawkeyedjb said...

Sure, he expressed condolences to Mrs. Lincoln, but not a darned word about Mr. Wilkes' broken leg.

Gusty Winds said...

Paul Pelosi was just drunk and forgot the safe word.

TreeJoe said...

You mean the incident at Paul Pelosi's home that is unclear and under investigation?

Bob Boyd said...

Stating the obvious here, but anything Trump might have said about the Pelosis would also have been spun into a negative and attacked.

"Hitler also offered insincere wishes for the speedy recovery of political rivals. Experts say it's something dictators do."

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

Just how exactly does Maureen Dowd know that Trump said nothing all day about the Pelosi family?

Does she pay someone to monitor Trump's output 24 hours at a stretch?

I guess she does. Or maybe it's an intern or an AI bot or something along those lines.

Unknown said...

Pelosi's daughter was outspokenly in favor of the guy who severely injured Rand Paul. Just keeping her big mouth shut, as Trump seems to be doing here, would have earned her some points. But then, it's Maureen Dowd....

Lurker21 said...

What does Mo have to say about Pelosi tearing up Trump's State of the Union address? Classy?

I give Trump credit for not tweeting about Pelosi over the weekend.

Imagine what he could have said.

D.D. Driver said...

Oh fuck her. Everybody would be wise to keep their mouth shut until the facts come out. How many times have public figures raced to comment on stuff like Jussee Smollette and Covington Catholic only to learn the complete facts later?

Offering condolences to a grieving family and honoring a cultural icon is totally different and unquestionably the right thing to do.

But now we get to play the dumbest game in America: trying to pin a political viewpoint on a crazy person so then we can all say "See! Those people are violent extremists and SOMETHING must be done."

wendybar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
wendybar said...

From your previous post about Paul Pelosi's friend

"FullMoon said...
May as well jump in and add to confusion:

"The websites reportedly connected to Paul Pelosi’s “friend” in his underwear are totally fake. They were created on Friday and deleted on Saturday and the only activity in them was over the past few days. "

10/29/22, 9:20 PM"

THIS is why nobody believes this story. 2 websites just "happened" to go up on Saturday about Paul's buddy being a Maga extremists that were then mysteriously gone. The left lies so much, I believe the FBI or some other intel agency working for Pelosi did that. They lie, people die. Just tell the damn truth, and let it go. Nancy should be proud her husband likes men.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/10/exclusive-two-far-right-websites-attributed-david-depape-fabricated-created-friday-deleted-today/

Kevin said...

NYT Editor 1: What's the premise?

Paul Krugman: Well, as I was saying, Trump would play himself, and... as an ex-President living in Mar-a-Lago, and he has a friend and a neighbor and an ex-wife, which is all true.

Maureen Dowd: Yeah, but nothing happens in the article. You see, it's just like life. You know, Trump eats, Trump goes shopping, Trump reads, Trump eats, Trump reads, Trump goes shopping.

Editor 2: Trump reads? Trump reads in the article?

Paul Krugman: Well, I don't know about the reading. We didn't discuss the reading.

Editor 2: All right, tell me about the stories. What kind of stories?

Maureen Dowd: Oh, no. No stories.

Editor 2: No stories? So what is it?

Maureen Dowd: What did Trump do today?

Editor 2: He got up and didn’t make a statement about Pelosi’s husband.

Maureen Dowd: There's an article. That's an article.

Editor 2: How is that an article?

Paul Krugman: Well, maybe something happens to Trump on the way to not making a statement.

Maureen Dowd: No, no, no! Nothing happens!

Paul Krugman: [Pointedly]  Well, something happens.

Editor 2: Well, why am I reading it?

Maureen Dowd: Because it's in the New York Times.

Editor 2: Not yet.

Maureen Dowd: [Clears throat]  O.K... uh... look. If you wanna just keep waiting for Trump to do something newsworthy, then maybe this idea is not for you. I, for one, am not going to compromise my journalistic integrity, and I'll tell you something else. These are the articles, and we're not gonna change it.

[Snaps fingers at Krugman] 

Maureen Dowd: Right?

[Exits] 

Paul Krugman: How about this? We tell our readers Trump has a secret love child with Kim Jong-un…

Butkus51 said...

What about Trump made dems crazy?

Not a thing.

gilbar said...

WHY Don't the pelosi's have security?
He's a 100 millionaire, She's the third most powerful person on EARTH.
You'd Sure Think, that people like that, would Have security...
What's That? They DO? They DO Have security??
Then, i guess the real question is:
WHY did their security team let Mr Pelosi's gay fuckbuddy beat him up?

Leland said...

I was told the issue at the Pelosi was an example of domestic violence, which is something often left to the local people involved.

Kai Akker said...

Althouse trolls? Yet it does strike a hidden chord, I confess. Who would not care passionately about what Maureen Dowd thinks about what Donald Trump thinks about L'Affaire Pelosi?

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Paul Pelosi is not a public figure, not a member of Congress, unlike Lee Zeldin who was attacked by a crazed armed guy at a campaign event. The media ignored that member of Congress when he was physically assaulted and when a drive-by gang shooting happened in his front yard. I don’t know why they think they can ride this attack like they did Gabby Gifford’s. Fuck the media manipulators. And fuck this whole poorly reported story. Where’s the 911 call? Did he really excuse himself for a bathroom break to call 911? Did he really refer to the dude as a friend? Were both men wielding hammers like the cops said?

Fuck Dahlia too. This story needs reporting not spinning.

Mary Beth said...

I would be amused to find out that a short, but thoughtful, handwritten get-well card was mailed from The Donald and Melania to the Pelosi home shortly after the news was announced.

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Dowd, Lithwick, whatever.

Wince said...

I'm surprised Dowd didn't link to this video as representative of what Trump is thinking if not saying.

Amadeus 48 said...

MoDo goes into the Washington Press Club and sits down at the bar. “I’ll have what Joy Reid is having.”

Sebastian said...

"We're horrified at the violence. We deplore all violence."

"We"? You mean, the MSM were horrified at the Hodgkinson mass murder attempt? The left deplored all BLM and Antifa violence? Prog prosecutors are horrified at the everyday mayhem in black communities?

Like anything else, horror is a tool, to be used correctly, depending on the situation. Couple hundred black murders in a major city: no horror. White guy kills mostly Asian massage workers: horror. And so on, and so forth.

mezzrow said...

Kevin wins the internet this morning.

All the GOP has to do is stand aside and let their opposition show the world who they are.

mezzrow said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Iman said...

Pick up a hammer and stake and put it through the shriveled heart of this aging, stiletto-heeled vampire. Once and for all.

rcocean said...

Several points:

1) Mr. nancy pelosi wasn't injured in the attack
2) The attack wasn't political and it wasn't an attempted murder
3) Mr. Nancy pelosi isn't the Speaker of the House, he's just the spouse of one
4) Nancy Pelosi has said nothing about attacks on rand paul, threats against kavanaugh, and has threatened to punch trump in the nose.

Do we really need to go through this again, for the 1000th time? Whenver a Democrat/liberal is threatened or attacked then the Liberal MSM screams that "The Rightwing has caused an climate of violence" and demands every Republican denounce it. When a Republican/conservative is attacked/threatened its Crickets.

We've been seeing this same pattern of behavior by the DNC liberal press ever since they attacked Palin for the D Congresswoman from Az. getting shot. That was 2011. Why do we keep acting like every new instance of this DNC/MSM behavior is UNHEARD OF and SHOCKING?

Mr. Forward said...

Jerry Lee Lewis was the third most powerful person in the country.

rcocean said...

One reason the liberal/left wins is they own the microphone and like NPC's they keep repeating the same script and repeating the same talking points, month after month, year after year.

All the rest of of just get tired of responding. To people on the Center-right it gets boring. but the liberal/left NEVER gets bored. They LOVE lying about and attacking other people. They get a big charge out of it. Dowd has probably attacked Trump in almost every column for the last 6 years. Does she get tired of it? Nope.

Normal people find that amazing.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Trump staying silent on the corrupt Pelosi family is wise.

Good for Trump.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Trump staying silent on the Corrupt Pelosi Family is wise.

Good for Trump. Silence makes the corruption excusing left lose their minds.

n.n said...

Pelosi wants to punch Trump for the mess she caused on January 6th

Pelosi, Nancy, doesn't punch, she wields a hammer-style blunt instrument to force her subjects to take a knee, to bend to her will, to raise their eyes with praise.... case-in-point her celebratory parade after securing progressive deficits and prices with Obamacares.

Gahrie said...

With her usual level of class, Dowd exploits someone's death to take a cheap shot at a conservative....

TobyTucker said...

If something bad happens and it can't be blamed on TRUMP, the media isn't doing their job! Considering how close it is to the midterm elections and how it looks like the Dem candidates aren't doing so well, it's no surprise the MSM is all in on blaming the attack on Republicans, just like Katie Hobbs' campaign manager blamed a break-in at the Arizona Democrat's election headquarters on her Republican opponent Kari Lake. But when the likely suspect turns out to be just a common criminal already in jail for other break-ins, she doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

And it looks like there's more to the Pelosi story that we haven't been told yet and might never know. They've got a mansion in crime-ridden San Francisco that doesn't have a security system? Huh? Supposedly there was a third person that let the police in. What's up with THAT? Was he/she a security guard that wasn't doing their job or a 'guest'? Inquiring minds want to know!

Jim K said...

The Santa Monica Observer has a story on the incident:

https://web.archive.org/web/20221029193056/https://www.smobserved.com/story/2022/10/29/news/the-awful-truth-paul-pelosi-was-drunk-again-and-in-a-dispute-with-a-male-prostitute-early-friday-morning/7191.html

Rory said...

Apologies if this has been said already: Trump has employed a lot of entertainers, and so knows/knew them personally. It takes ten seconds to find a picture of him with Jerry Lee Lewis:

https://karenpulferfocht.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/Jerry-Lee-Lewis/G0000SJqp4k7tqMY/I0000eHWvgmRjuKw/C0000q6edmo94bD4

mikee said...

I usually wait until I know what happened before I respond.
Commenting before reading the linked article from a post excepted, of course....

Mike said...

With her usual level of class (lower than the bottom of the Marianas Trench) Mo Do opened her mouth again.

Political Junkie said...

MoDo's mother was right about her daughter.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Recall when the media were completely silent when Steve Scalise was shot by a Bernie Bro - and all the other congressional baseball players who were in the cross-hairs of rage-filled democrat Bernie Bro and his mass-murderer plot.

Recall then the left celebrated the neighbor attack on Rand Paul.

Rabel said...

In his second news conference about the attack the San Francisco police chief, who almost broke down in tears, made it clear that the Capitol Police were responsible for security for Speaker Pelosi and her family at their San Francisco home, and any questions about security at the house should be directed to them.

Yeah, that Capitol Police.

Also, some of y'all have a disturbing need to believe that other men are engaging in homosexual behaviors. It's affecting your analytical ability. Too much time in the vortex. I guess.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

why does the collective hivemind need to hear from Trump?

JK Brown said...

Pelosis? Sound debilitating, at least for the country. Not like Poliosis which comes on when you discussing diseases with a dummy on stage

https://youtu.be/izHuiNN7oHk?t=80

Joe Smith said...

'In his second news conference about the attack the San Francisco police chief, who almost broke down in tears...'

If he is that sensitive he should resign immediately.

Wimp.

Dave64 said...

NYT Editor 1: What's the premise?

Paul Krugman: Well, as I was saying, Trump would play himself, and... as an ex-President living in Mar-a-Lago, and he has a friend and a neighbor and an ex-wife, which is all true.

Maureen Dowd: Yeah, but nothing happens in the article. You see, it's just like life. You know, Trump eats, Trump goes shopping, Trump reads, Trump eats, Trump reads, Trump goes shopping.

Editor 2: Trump reads? Trump reads in the article?

Paul Krugman: Well, I don't know about the reading. We didn't discuss the reading.

Editor 2: All right, tell me about the stories. What kind of stories?

Maureen Dowd: Oh, no. No stories.

Editor 2: No stories? So what is it?

Maureen Dowd: What did Trump do today?

Editor 2: He got up and didn’t make a statement about Pelosi’s husband.

Maureen Dowd: There's an article. That's an article.

Editor 2: How is that an article?

Paul Krugman: Well, maybe something happens to Trump on the way to not making a statement.

Maureen Dowd: No, no, no! Nothing happens!

Paul Krugman: [Pointedly] Well, something happens.

Editor 2: Well, why am I reading it?

Maureen Dowd: Because it's in the New York Times.

Editor 2: Not yet.

Maureen Dowd: [Clears throat] O.K... uh... look. If you wanna just keep waiting for Trump to do something newsworthy, then maybe this idea is not for you. I, for one, am not going to compromise my journalistic integrity, and I'll tell you something else. These are the articles, and we're not gonna change it.

[Snaps fingers at Krugman]

Maureen Dowd: Right?

[Exits]

Paul Krugman: How about this? We tell our readers Trump has a secret love child with Kim Jong-un…
This is comedy gold Kevin!

Bunkypotatohead said...

"Of course, he is criticized for saying nothing"

Silence is violence, after all.

Paul said...

Message to Maureen Dowd: Matthew 7:5

"Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."

Alcibiades said...

As though Donald J. Trump has not seen the intelligence on Nancy and didn't know that Paul Pelosi was swinging with gay guys when Nancy Pelosi was driving the whip in Washington.

She's kind of going to be a joke now.

HRC had Bill Clinton.

And Nancy Pelosi has Paul.

Michael K said...

As Grandma said in "Parenthood" "she needs a man!" That is also true of MoDo.

DINKY DAU 45 said...

trump still? the guy was beaten 2 years ago and still talking about him. TDS up in here.
Move on,in LIFE sometimes you win, sometimes you loose and yes Goodtime Charlie still got the blues! Cmon man.

PM said...

And it was Donald Trump who demanded the James Webb colorize all photos, that lying liar telescope.