January 22, 2017

Robert Reich's conversation "with a friend who's a former Republican member of Congress"

The Clinton-era Labor Secretary, present-day Berkeley professor presents this as a recent conversation over breakfast. In the new fake-news, fact-challenged America, you're on your own to invent your own ideas about where this belongs on the continuum from verbatim to enhanced storytelling to wishful-thinking fiction:
Him: Trump is no Republican. He’s just a big fat ego.
Me: Then why didn’t you speak out against him during the campaign?
Him: You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot.
Me: So what now? What are your former Republican colleagues going to do?
Him (smirking): They’ll play along for a while.
Me: A while?
Him: They’ll get as much as they want – tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup, slash all those poverty programs, and then get to work on Social Security and Medicare – and blame him. And he’s such a fool he’ll want to take credit for everything.
Me: And then what?
Him (laughing): They like Pence.
Me: What do you mean?
Him: Pence is their guy. They all think Trump is out of his mind.
Me: So what?
Him: So the moment Trump does something really dumb – steps over the line – violates the law in a big stupid clumsy way… and you know he will ...
Me: They impeach him?
Him: You bet. They pull the trigger. 
ADDED: What, in Trumpworld, would count as "big stupid clumsy"? And what, after all the liberal lawprofessorly manipulations of Obamaworld, would count as violating the law?

157 comments:

Clyde said...

With all due respect, Reich is a lefty loon.

Humperdink said...

So Trump does all the heavy lifting - tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup and then we get pro-life Pence? I would be OK with that.

It will never happen. There would be a different type of march on DC. Tar and feathers would be in short supply.

jaydub said...

Let me save your readers some time: Reich's supposed Republican friend is the archtypical Democrat version of a Republican, i.e., the conversation is totally made up. The second clue one should have regarding it's veracity is that he's now a You Tube marketeer for the Democrat party and produces videos on how to resist Trump. Remember? You recently praised his artwork in one of the videos. Perhaps that might have been mentioned rather than just describing him as a Berkley prof and former Clinton cabinet member.

HT said...

In the new fake-news, fact-challenged America, you're on your own to invent your own ideas about where this belongs on the continuum from verbatim to enhanced storytelling to wishful-thinking fiction


..
....and to cast doubt on every single thing you read that's not on Rush or Drudge...

So the moment Trump does something really dumb – steps over the line – violates the law in a big stupid clumsy way… and you know he will ...

When - quaint. Obviously not someone who's read the financial disclosures.

Sally327 said...

Isn't Robert Reich the actor who played opposite Billy Bob Thornton in Bad Santa? Maybe I'm thinking of someone else. Anyway, this conversation could have happened. There are plenty of Republican politicians who don't like Trump, which is part of his appeal. He should be so much less than they are and yet he's so much more. Like President for example.

Humperdink said...

Reichhhhh's friend is probably the same phantom as Harry Reid's "Romney-paid-no-taxes" friend. As jaydub said, totally made up.

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, if only the lefties would be honest enough long enough to admit that in an era they characterize as "fact-free" they are the ones most likely to work from "facts" they made up from wishful thinking.

An honest Democrat? Yeah, right.

Chris of Rights said...

I can believe that there are people stupid enough to dream of this scenario. I can even believe that some of them are in Congress.

I think the chance of it happening is incredibly small.

lgv said...

I was thinking, "Fake but accurate", bet then it jumped the shark.

Him: So the moment Trump does something really dumb – steps over the line – violates the law in a big stupid clumsy way… and you know he will ...
Me: They impeach him?
Him: You bet. They pull the trigger.

This is so ridiculous on so many levels of logic, it doesn't warrant analysis. If this is a Republican strategy, then they are dumber than anyone imagined. How about a long term strategic plan that relies on him getting drunk grabbing an intern by the pussy? Is that all you got?

I immediate reaction anything Reich says or writes is disbelief. I started out thinking this might be different. I was wrong.

Danno said...

Humperdink said..." There would be a different type of march on DC. Tar and feathers would be in short supply."

Maybe, but my guess is an invasion of the Washington DC area by hundreds of thousands of Rustbelt voters with AR-15s and lots of ammo.

MayBee said...

So this is bad?

I'm trying to figure out why, if they get what they want out of Trump, they would then have to impeach him?
If they're trying to be dastardly, it seems more like they would impeach him if he doesn't go along with what they want.

tim maguire said...

Another vote for fake news.

The conversation happened.

In fact, I bet it happened over a hundred times.

In Reich's head.

MayBee said...

40,000 shares!

Did Facebook ever enact the Fake news policy, or just announce it? How will they deal with stuff like this?

rhhardin said...

Political correctness is a right.

iqvoice said...

This leftist fantasy is farcical. An impeachment would reflect so badly on the whole party, it would be suicidal for the Republicans to embrace it.

Rusty said...

Reich is prone to hyperbole.
Like tim said. This is a progressives idealized idea of what a Republican is.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

What MayBee said.

Reich is engaging in some serious wishcasting there.

And he (and most other lefties) can't abandon the idea that someone who created a multi-billion dollar multi-national real estate/entertainment empire, who won the nomination of the Republican party in the face of opposition from the party's leadership and entrenched interests, and then went on to win the general election despite a MSM that openly declared its opposition to him is both naive and stupid.

Yeah, Donald Trump is being used. That's the ticket. Yeah, That's the ticket.

I hope the Republicans in congress aren't that stupid.

Breezy said...

Reich is swarmy so I don't believe this episode but there are anti-Trumpers on the R side of congress. No surprise. But for goodness sake, if these Republicans want other things, take note of Trump's base at that point and negotiate! That's the whole point!

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Also, off topic, but Ashley Judd is a moron. Just saw a clip of her saying she, "could feel Hitler in these streets."

Or maybe not OT, since we are talking about leftist wishcasting.

MaxedOutMama said...

Fantasy. It could be that the "friend" is the fantasist, but this is a work of wishful fantasy.

Tregonsee said...

Probably true dialog, but so what? Trump is about as likely to be impeached, at least as described, as the Electors were to change their vote and deny him the office. The Dems are not the only ones who still don't get what happened, and why.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

@Breezy

I think most of the leadership on the left are believers in Technocratic government,and for that matter, so are a hell of a lot of leaders on the right. So negotiating with the plebes is not an option since the plebes are to stupid to manage their own affairs.

Government is about a highly educated cognitive elite discerning what is best for everyone and then implementing the necessary measures to make it so. Its just pure coincidence that what's best for everyone is to the technocrats' financial advantage.

Pure. Coincidence.

Jaq said...

Isn't Reich the Democratic who called the Bush administration to try to protect Enron? Why are these people still allowed to talk in the media?

Ron Winkleheimer said...

Also, I'm really, really grateful to Madonna and Meryl Streep for speaking out.

They really understand what its like to be out of work because your job moved overseas and being told that you need to retrain as a practical nurse when you're in your 50s and your back is shot so you can get a job at minimum wage working in a nursing home.

You can just tell they can relate.

AllenS said...

Reich is a bigger bullshitter than Chuck.

Pookie Number 2 said...

You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot.

That part has to be true, because so few Republicans spoke out against Trump, and they were all shot.

Lewis Wetzel said...

Reich makes Sanders sound sane.
Reich was labor secretary during some of the very best times to be an American worker, and people still think that he is an ass. That takes some work.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Him must be an pseudonym for Chuck.

retail lawyer said...

I've been hearing this meme at work for weeks now. It usually continues along the "Bush's Brain" theme, whereby the President is actually too stupid to find his shoes, and Karl Rove or Cheney is the brainpower behind the puppet. Now it is Pence. Oh, and Pence is really, really Hitler, more than, Trump even.

ddh said...

Each word in that conversation was actually said by someone at some time, but not by the same person at the same time. It was a composite of ill-fitting parts--a Frankenstein monster and just as believable.

urbane legend said...
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urbane legend said...
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Lewis Wetzel said...

Him: You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot.
Not shot. Trump has a special team of femassassins to take care of people like "Him."
Really, really beautiful girls, athletic, keep their weight down. Each is named after a different brand of perfume.
And they don't use guns. They have poison embedded in their nail polish. One scratch, and you are a dead man. A different poison on each fingernail. The one that they use depends on how Mister Trump has decided he wants you to die.
Americans need to become accustomed to having a Bond villain for their president.

rehajm said...

I have no problem believing this never happened but Reich knows with absolute certainty that it did.

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Comic book material.

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Progressive Porn

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

From "Wanker Bob" Reich

rehajm said...

I also have no problem believing Reich has breakfast with some old Republican fart that would say exactly this.

Curious George said...

"Chris Breisch said...
I can believe that there are people stupid enough to dream of this scenario. I can even believe that some of them are in Congress.

I think the chance of it happening is incredibly small."

Like Reich himself.

urbane legend said...
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CJ said...

I wonder if the voices in Reich's head sound like leprechauns too?

Imagining Robert Reich inventing that conversation gave me a good laugh this Sunday morning. Or really, since I'm alone at my computer right now, a decent chuckle. Only a crazy person laughs out loud when they're alone.

rehajm said...

In a dream scenario it's more likely Reich would be the imaginary friend.

rehajm said...
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Lewis Wetzel said...

Blogger rehajm said...
I also have no problem believing Reich has breakfast with some old Republican fart that would say exactly this.

John McCain.
Frankly, I don't know if any of Trump's femassassins will be able to take out McCain. He is a trained jungle fighter. Aeon could do it, maybe -- if she hadn't retired. Or L'Anarchiste, once she's finished that job in Petersburg. I believe Black Cashmere is available, but at this point in her career, she can choose her missions.

Big Mike said...

@Curious George, Reich is indeed a small man.

He's short, too.

rehajm said...

They’ll get as much as they want – tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup, slash all those poverty programs, and then get to work on Social Security and Medicare – and blame him

If they do all those things the way they say they want to do them blame won't be a factor.

Francisco D said...

Trump is different. He often exasperates me even though I voted for him. Its annoying when he repeats himself three times and then congratulations himself what what he said.

However, if that is what is causing the collective leftist meltdown, I am all for it. You can't read this stuff off a teleprompter.

rehajm said...

I think the chance of it happening is incredibly small.

We see what you did here, Chris.

Drago said...

By noon today this will be "truth" on every Lefty blog.

By tomorrow it will be on BuzzFeed, Vox and Salon.

By Tuesday this will be on MSNBC and CNN.

By Wed the Dems will be calling for an investigation.

By Thu textbooks will be updated to include this "perspective".

Ron Winkleheimer said...

You know, when I lose a contest to someone, I prefer to think of that person as smart and capable.

Insisting that the person who beat you is a moron does not cause me to think you are therefore smart.

TrespassersW said...

When small children have imaginary friends, we think it's kinda cute.

Comanche Voter said...

There's a lot of acid in Berkeley, and I think Professor Reich is having a bad trip.

Laslo Spatula said...

Him: Trump is no Republican. He’s just a big fat ego.

Me: Then why didn’t you speak out against him during the campaign?

Him: You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot.

Me: I know the feeling. I hear that Hillary has a list of the people she blames for her loss. Please: if I happen to have an ‘accident’ know that it wasn’t an accident.

Him: Seriously?

Me: Oh yeah. People are going are going to be dropping like flies. Hillary wants blood.

Him: But surely people will notice all of this?

Me: What? The vast right-wing conspiracy? People accidentally walk in front of trains all the time. Car accidents, suicides. Shit happens.

Him: Aren’t you afraid?

Me: I danced with the devil. I get what’s coming to me.

Him: I know you, Robert: you’ll beg for mercy like a little bitch.

Me: (laughter). You DO know me. I AM a little bitch. I’m a four-foot-eleven little bitch, and I’m going to sob and beg for my life. It won’t matter, though: there is no mercy in Hillary’s dark soul.

Him: I’m sorry, man….

Me: I just hope it’s not an embarrassing death, like sexual asphyxiation. Or small boys being involved…

Him: Wait — so are you saying PizzaGate is true?

Me: (laughter) Let’s save THAT story for my ’suicide note’…

I am Laslo.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

rehajm said...
I also have no problem believing Reich has breakfast with some old Republican fart that would say exactly this.


Chuck resents this statement.

Jersey Fled said...

Must be Reich's imaginary friend.

sykes.1 said...

Obama has emptied out Gitmo, and there is a cell there waiting for Reich.

This country really needs to put a few million Progressives into concentration camps.

rehajm said...

John McCain.

Certainly fits, though it's supposedly a former Senator.

A curmudgeon who views the Congressional bureaucracy with equal parts disdain and respect. Alan Simpson?

FullMoon said...

Him: They’ll get as much as they want – tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup, slash all those poverty programs, and then get to work on Social Security and Medicare – and blame him. And he’s such a fool he’ll want to take credit for everything.


A lot of people believe this stuff. Lay awake worrying about it. Tax cuts, poverty programs, SS and Medi-care are the only real life things to people. Tax cuts would be a credit to Trump. When Medicare and SS don't change, that will be a credit also. Poverty programs might change a little, but if more people get jobs, and countries attitude in general becomes more positive, it won't matter to most people. I care less about some woman getting welfare than I do about some politician profiting by passing a law that benefits him financially.

AllenS said...

Roy Jacobsen @ 7:25 AM wins the thread.

Derek Kite said...

Wasn't it Reich who was talking to Kerry at Davos, and he said almost the same thing, a year, year and a half max.

We are in for an interesting time. If Trump hadn't managed to humiliate (and that is the word) the political establishment, dismantling two family political powerhouses in the process, and winning the presidency, I would think that both have a point.

What I find interesting as well is the certainty mixed with open disdain. It seems remarkably easy to flush stupid people right now.

Drago said...

sykes.1: "Obama has emptied out Gitmo, and there is a cell there waiting for Reich."

Gitmo can't hold him. He would simply walk out through the bars.

TRISTRAM said...

Heh. With as badly as the GOPe took advantage of the Clueless Trump in the Primaries, and the DEM did in the general, this Acme (R) Plane being peddled to Wile E GOPe CAN. NOT. FAIL! It is foolproof, even if fools are so ingenious.

traditionalguy said...

Hey! That fable is my argument to elect his Bombastiness to get things done, and then you can fire him later to prove that you still envy the SOB.

But it was just an argument. Seriously I never meant it.

On the other hand, maybe we can buy a CIA/CNN special secret scandal on Pence and force him to retire to avoid indictment, and then we appoint Kellyann Conway in his place. After that we that get 98 votes to impeach Trump for anything the CIA/CNN panels discover...maybe barrels of gunpowder planted in the Capitol Bassement with his Campaign Slogan on them.

Bottom line:Reich is on LSD again.

rehajm said...

They would miss the Trump women too much.

Bob Boyd said...

Even if this were verbatim:

It's hardly a shocking idea that many Republicans don't like Trump, or that they worry his ego will lead him to screw up. Many have stated this openly.
If Trump "does something really dumb – steps over the line – violates the law in a big stupid clumsy way" the Republicans have a duty to impeach him, do they not?

So what Reich is telling us is that it's all good.

MacMacConnell said...

Reich is just Krugman lite on the loon scale.

Wilbur said...

Unless El Trumpo does indeed do something genuinely impeachable - a very unlikely occurrence, contrary to the hopes and dreams of millions of leftist haterz - no GOP Congress is even going to think about impeaching him. They would be afraid to return to their districts.

A more likely scenario is him getting whacked, by a lone gunman or a cabal. That would put a glare on the face of a lot of Americans that you don't want to piss off.

There'll be interesting and turbulent times ahead in this USA. I don't pretend to able to predict them.

Amadeus 48 said...

Reich's little fairy tale has a moral: don't trust anyone in Washington to do anything that you want them to do. They'll do what they want to do. In this case, though, Reich wants the GOP to start devouring itself. No thanks.

I have been watching Reich tell lies on television since the early eighties. He certainly is glib. I never never believed anything he has ever said. Why should I start now?

Vet66 said...

Wishful thinking...

Bay Area Guy said...

Reich, to his credit, does argue his liberal point of view with those little cartoon videos. It's hard to find Leftists who actually make arguments. They'd rather just label their opponents "racist" and declare victory via moral superiority,

To his discredit, though, Reich fails to acknowledge that: (1) he and Trump totally agree on the critical issue of Trade, Nafta, TPP, which caused a deep erosion of our manufacturing base and (2) Trump legitimately won, and when one loses as Reich, one ought to generally shut up for a bit and graciously accept defeat.

Mazo Jeff said...

But he is a college professor who indoctrinates, oops I mean, "educate" the next generation. He and most other college professors are the source of all knowledge in the universe. How could he possibly make up things and say such things with a straight face. You know he would never lie to us.

Birkel said...

In which Chuck, who supports anything anti-Trump, agreed with every word told by Robert Reich.

Unexpectedly!!

Birkel said...

Now to read the comments above.

mockturtle said...

Totally made up.

Anonymous said...

Who knew Chuck was buds with Reich?

MAJMike said...

The butt hurt is strong among these ProgCong. They fear many broken rice bowls.

tcrosse said...

An alternative vision would be that the Democrats realize where they went wrong, correct their mistakes, win back the House and Senate, and do the impeachment themselves. But that is too ludicrous even for Reich to contemplate.
And if Trump is Hitler, isn't it a bit uncomfortable to be named Reich ?

Clayton Hennesey said...

This sort of thing is actually nothing new. Conservative bloggers like Rod Dreher and plenty of liberal bloggers have long used the foil of the anonymous conversationalist or emailer or whatever to subliminally suggest objective credibility by placing the advocate's interests in the mouth of an ostensibly different and yet agreeable other.

Is Reich sockpuppeting himself here? The probability is 50% - he is, or he isn't, and no one but Reich knows for sure.

mockturtle said...

Most of us who voted enthusiastically for Trump have grave mistrust of the GOP establishment. They would remove Trump at their own peril.

Birkel said...

tcrosse:

Given his dimensions and Trump is Hitler...
That makes him Robert (3/4ths) Reich...

JML said...

CJ said, "Only a crazy person laughs out loud when they're alone. "

I read that and thought, "Uh oh!"

But then I just laughed it off...

Lewis Wetzel said...

Do you think that maybe Reich mistook Jesse Ventura for a former Republican member of congress? Reich is pretty old. His eyes aren't what they used to be.

William said...

I don't believe him. I do, however, believe that if and when the Dems gain a majority in the House they will move for Trump's impeachment and a certain number of Republicans will join them.......The Dems are always warning about the Brownshirts, but there are more Red Guards than Brownshirts in Washington. They can certainly mobilize larger crowds.......Marie Antoinette was not convicted of this crime, but she was formally charged with seducing her five year old son. They did come up with some other reason for beheading her. Her five year old son was locked away in solitary confinement where he died several years later. But, thank God, he was no longer victimized by that evil woman...... They'll find some reason to charge Trump, and the media will go to great lengths to detail how horrible the crime is. Iran/Contra was presented as one of the great crimes in the history of the republic. They toppled Nixon, and Nixon had a wider base of support than Trump.

James Graham said...

Peggy Noonan at WSJ said yesterday if the Dems take control of the House of Reps Trump will be impeached.

mockturtle said...

"Only a crazy person laughs out loud when they're alone. "

Does it count if my dog is with me?

tcrosse said...

What, in Trumpworld, would count as "big stupid clumsy"? And what, after all the liberal lawprofessorly manipulations of Obamaworld, would count as violating the law?
Being insensitive to the needs of women, minorities, and the LGBTQ community. Drinking instant coffee. Eating pizza with a knife and fork. Wearing white pants after Labor Day. Saying unpleasant things 20 years ago. The list goes on and on....

urbane legend said...

Ron Winkleheimer said...
Also, off topic, but Ashley Judd is a moron. Just saw a clip of her saying she, "could feel Hitler in these streets."

Wasn't the Women's March about that, Hitlersteria? And since we are talking about Robert Reich, the subject is morons.

Wince said...

What Reich forgot to add for affect was the dramatic background music loud enough to almost drown-out the spoken words.

The words don't matter because it's not the plausibility, but the emotion that counts.

Mike Sylwester said...

Reich better not reveal that guy's name, because for sure he still will be shot.

damikesc said...

I'll remind folks that Reich lies to his own diaries about events. He wrote in his book about a meeting he had with business executives --- not realizing it was TELEVISED ON CSPAN and had little relation to what he claimed happened.

Darrell said...

With no due respect, Reich is a lefty loon.

Fabi said...

Did Reich's imaginary friend claim to be a "real Republican"? Is he an attorney from Michigan?

dwick said...

Reich is a regular columnist on Salon. This piece is so insipidly stupid I suspect even they rejected it.

Michael K said...

Reich is voicing the standard leftist wish fantasy. I have a very bright and accomplished daughter who is a lefty. Her mother asked her what she thought would happen with Trump as president and she said "He'll be impeached."

This is what the lefties who are semi-reasonable think.

You don't realize just how short Reich is until you see him in person. When I got my degree from Dartmouth, he was in the procession. He is a midget. I guess the proper term is "vertically challenged but he is very challenged.

kentuckyliz said...

I predict "pull the trigger" in this fable will be used to say the Republicans did it if Trump is assassinated.

Trump will die of a "heart attack."

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Peggy Noonan at WSJ said yesterday if the Dems take control of the House of Reps Trump will be impeached.

1/22/17, 9:10 AM

When will this happen? The Dems are down almost 50 seats right now.

They're not going to regain control in 2018.

Birkel said...

Leftists Collectivists: Gerrymandering has undemocratically given Republicans permanent control of the House.

Peggy Noonan: If Democrats take control of the House, they will impeach.

Odd juxtaposition.

sunsong said...

LOLOL - yeah impeachment by the GOP would be so much fun - lol

Achilles said...

These people are clueless. They may be stupid enough to try something like this. But the smart ones realize you have to discredit Trump before you off him or we will just wipe DC off the face of the earth. They wont be able to do it.

FleetUSA said...

Anonymous conversations should be treated as though they don't exist. In a court of law they would be thrown out immediately.

Rumpletweezer said...

Reich believes that raising the minimum wage increases employment. That's all you need to know about him.

David in Cal said...

Thanks for this post. When I first read this article, I thought, Someone is nuts. Is it Reich or me? Glad to see some agreement that that I'm not the nut.

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

Treason is a crime. How can he be president from a jail cell? Maybe then Republicans will feel the heat from the base... or maybe not. The base doesn't care about trivial things like treason when it comes to Leader Trump.

The conversation is entirely plausible.

Drago said...

sunsong: "LOLOL - yeah impeachment by the GOP would be so much fun - lol"

A psychotic dream, based on an anonymous imaginary conversation between a non-existent "republican" and an established Lefty lunatic partisan.

Congratulations sunsong! You win the "Most Realistic and Grounded Lefty" Award for the day!

Drago said...

MackM: "The conversation is entirely plausible."

Lol

And they wonder why they lost!

Matt Sablan said...

"Him: Trump is no Republican. He’s just a big fat ego.
Me: Then why didn’t you speak out against him during the campaign?
Him: You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot."

B.S. Did this guy not know about the #NeverTrump movement? Did he never hear the fairly public condemning of Trump from Republican politicians as high up as previous presidents down to dog catchers that the media paraded around with various levels of sourcing?

He needs to name names or this is unbelievable.

Michael K said...

"The base doesn't care about trivial things like treason when it comes to Leader Trump."

Hilarious lefty wet dream.

If Trump fails, he will lose the House in 2018. By fail, I mean he does not do what he promised to do, at least in part as it may take a while.

I see no sign of that and most lefties are dreaming.

Matt Sablan said...

"Him: They’ll get as much as they want – tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup, slash all those poverty programs, and then get to work on Social Security and Medicare – and blame him. And he’s such a fool he’ll want to take credit for everything."

-- Why does this Republican who cares so much about being liked by Republicans talk about Republican priorities in the same derogatory, dismissive way as a Democrat talking head?

Anonymous said...

Reich has a history of this sort of thing.

rcocean said...

Well, as Clinton showed us lying under oath isn't an impeachable offense. So Trump will get a mulligan on that one.

Sebastian said...

"I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot." I called BS right there. Lefty projection. And exactly which "former member" was "surrounded" by Trumpists, bloodthirsty or not?

mockturtle said...

Is MackM the same as Unknown? Funny how we don't see them together.

rcocean said...

The problem is there are a LOT of former Republican members of Congress. From Joe Scarborough to Eric Cantor to Ogden Reid. Hell, Jeffords is a former Republican congressman.

CWJ said...

This is classic fake dialog. The fablelist attributes his opinions to the other person while assigning himself short neutral questions to keep the opinions flowing. Neither actual conversations nor even interviews take place like this.

Fernandinande said...

Clinton-era Labor Secretary, present-day Berkeley professor

Sounds about right.

Rosalyn C. said...

100% BS and Reich believes every word of it. Talk about hubris.

cubanbob said...

The type of conversation Reich had is usually treated with lithium. Perhaps our resident commenter and physician Michael K can advise us what is the usual therapeutic cocktail for this condition.

Paul said...

There is no underestimation learning curve on the left.

They will continue to underestimate Trump. Underestimate him till 2024.

Kevin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
mockturtle said...

Clinton-era Labor Secretary, present-day Berkeley professor

Fernandinande says: Sounds about right

Yep, credibility kind of plummets with credentials like that.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Look, guys, these are the same Repub operatives who failed to stop Trump at every turn. Stupid vulgar Trump beat all of them in the Repub primary. Idiotic mush-mouthed scandal-ridden Trump beat the elite coalition of #NeverTrump, Media geniuses, and Dems in the general.
He is not impossible to beat--he is a (very) flawed human being and it is entirely possible he will be taken out.
This crowd allegedly bragging about how they'll get him, though, is the same group that has failed to do so, repeatedly. So, you know, grain of salt or two.

Unknown said...

The only person in this two person conversation is Robert Reich. I ask, who does he think is dumb enough to believe this? His camp followers? The other side's? Some of both? Does it matter?

Gretchen said...

Poor Robert, he needs to move on from his imaginary friend.

Kevin said...

The Dems control no part of government. Impeachment fantasies are all that stand between them and Jim Jones-level events.

Anonymous said...

mockturtle: Is MackM the same as Unknown? Funny how we don't see them together.

He's been one of the Unknowns in the past (there are several), as well as "Anonymous", "Nikki", and "MNichols".

Beclowning themselves with obvious sock-puppetry seems to be a hobby of these people.

gadfly said...

@Kevin said...
The Dems control no part of government. Impeachment fantasies are all that stand between them and Jim Jones-level events.

Control of the Congress is a condition that could change in just two years.

Chuck said...

AReasonableMan said...
Him must be an pseudonym for Chuck.

I am not "Him."
Not even close.
"Him" is a self-described former Republican. (Or is he just a 'former Republican congressman' ?)
Anyway, I have nothing but contempt for "former Republicans."
And I will not let Donald Trump drive me out of my party.

As for Reich, he should be happy. He's the guy who did that left wing video proclaiming that Ted Cruz was a much more profound threat to them, than Trump would ever be.

AllenS said...

Sorry, Chuck, Cruz would not have beaten Clinton. I know a lot of union men who voted for Trump, and they voted for him because he wasn't your standard Republican, who are not different than your standard Democrat.

AllenS said...

not different = no different

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Clearly a fantasy. Way too pat and typical of the internal dialogues of the frustrated and somewhat deranged. I would moby occasionally on Democratic Underground for my own amusement and, even among the frozen chosen, I used more subtlety than Reich's little spiel.

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

A good moby doesn't lead a horse to water. He leaves a slightly crumpled wind-blown map in the corner of the horse's stall.

viator said...

Nice quotes from the deep state. Reich of course is an unreliable narrator. Does anyone see anything particularly evil in those quotes, I do. Takeaway - screw the voters and the people. Another takeaway - the "people" might have a surprise for this guy and his friends.

Drago said...

Angelyne: "Beclowning themselves with obvious sock-puppetry seems to be a hobby of these people."

The left is quite enamored of AstroTurf ta tics to puff themselves up. Think of them as the equivalent to any typical Lefty radical group that inevitably calls it's leader "Field Marshall" or something.

ELC said...

I vote for wishful-thinking fiction. But whether it's the fiction of Me or of Him, I'm not sure.

YoungHegelian said...

Any attempt to impeach Trump that involved anything but the clearest & most profound abuses of the Presidential office would destroy the Republican Party.

I'm sure Reich realizes this, & would be thrilled to see it happen. That's why he brings it up at all.

First, came the election fantasy -- that Trump would usher in the downfall of the Republican Party at the polls. Then, the "faithless elector" fantasy. Now, the "impeachment fantasy".

Wake up, Democrats. We the people have got four years of guaranteed full-bore Trump. If he actually does something resembling a good job, we'll have eight. You know what stands the best chance of removing Trump from office? Old age, & its attending maladies.

Jon Ericson said...

It was only a matter of time...
Randy

rcocean said...

I agree with AllenS. Cruz could never have won Michigan, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin. And I don't see a single state that Trump lost that Cruz would've won.

And Cruz was my first choice.

Freeman Hunt said...

"Me: They impeach him?
Him: You bet. They pull the trigger."

Cont.
Me: Wow.
Him: Robert, you know, you're a really insightful guy.
Me: Me?
Him: Yeah. I mean I feel I know of almost no one with your intellect and ability to cut through to the real issues.
Me: Really? Almost no one?
Him: Now that I think of it, no one at all. Robert, I must tell you: I wish you were the President of the United States.
Me: Surely you jest!
Him: No, I've been talking to all of the other GOP guys, and they think you're tops. We'd love to work with you.
Me: I couldn't possibly.
Him: Then that is the tragedy of my life.
Me: Stay strong, my Republican friend.

Seeing Red said...

GOPe destroying the party. What's surprise!

We know they hate us.


Bubba didn't step down Neither should The Donald.

mockturtle said...

Freeman Hunt: Good sequel. I can just picture his pretty little fantasies--the glory days that might have been his. If only...if only....

Seeing Red said...

Ashley Judd:

Pink Pussy hats, red kerchiefs.

I can see why.

tcrosse said...

Here's the cunning plan:
1. Democrats double down on all the stuff that lost them the Congress, the White House, and most state houses.
2. ???
3. They impeach Trump !

Jupiter said...

"They’ll get as much as they want – tax cuts galore, deregulation, military buildup, slash all those poverty programs, and then get to work on Social Security and Medicare – and blame him."

It's surprising that a former Republican Congressman describes the goals of the party he served in those terms. It's even more remarkable that a principled Lefty like Robert Reich is friends with such a person. Strange bedfellows indeed!

Jon Ericson said...

@Seeing
Not to mention her Puffy Scamper.

SukieTawdry said...

So, is this "former Republican member of Congress" someone who was successfully primaried by Tea Party types? Or is he merely Bobby's imaginary friend? Is Reich a teller of tall tales, a fableist like Corey Booker?

Elisa Berg said...

How come no native English speakers understand pronouns these days?

Jon Ericson said...

O.K. Why?

Elisa Berg said...

You tell me.

Jon Ericson said...

Do you mean regular pronouns or college pronouns?

Mike said...

This post should be tagged #Reichstag

JamesB.BKK said...

Me: Then why didn’t you speak out against him during the campaign?
Him: You kidding? I was surrounded by Trump voters. I’d have been shot."

During the campaign, hardly anybody was going to vote for Trump. Memba? I memba.

JamesB.BKK said...

"When - quaint. Obviously not someone who's read the financial disclosures."

Would appreciate some page citations of the big clumsy law violations found in those pages resulting from your deep dive.

Brando said...

A GOP Congress will never impeach him. Forget for a minute his low approval ratings--each congressman has only to care about the ratings in their own districts, and their bigger concern is Trump supporters among their own coalition in their district. The non-Trump fans within those coalitions (Republicans mostly) don't care enough, the pro-Trumpers do, and any vote to impeach would therefore fail.

If Dems are going to beat Trump they're going to have to win the next election. And they may fail at that.

Lost My Cookies said...

That conversation never happened. Anyone who was paying any kind of attention knows it never happened.

Timeforchange said...

Reich is supposed to know something about economics. In his movie "Inequality for All" he blames the bad economy on "Robotics and Globalization", not one word about the illegal immigrants that work for cash or less than the prevailing wages that destroyed our economy.

Think of all the Democratic votes thanks to Reich.

Martin said...

If this conversation happened, which is an open question, and if this person has real contacts who are being honest with him and accurately conveying a GOP Hill consensus, it reflects the GOP establishment that Trump crushed. The GOP that backed Obama's IRS neutering the Tea Party, that gave us in 2012 the one candidate who could not run against Obamacare, that knew Jeb! was a lock in 2016, that spent the winter, spring, summer and autumn of 2016 in #NeverTrump-land, an alternative universe for deluded people.

If this happens it will be the end of the Republican Party for a generation. And they are just stupid enough to do it.