Althouse: At the Wednesday Night Café...

February 7, 2024

At the Wednesday Night Café...

.... you can talk about whatever you want.

52 comments:

Clyde said...: Palestinians and their sympathizers are whining about Israeli ad on Hulu (Story is from HuffPost):

Hulu Faces Intense Backlash, Boycotts For Streaming Pro-Israel 'Visit Gaza' Ad; 2/7/24, 6:04 PM
Leland said...: Hockey Stick is a fraud trial is with the jury.; 2/7/24, 6:09 PM
narciso said...: https://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/nb/nicholas-fondacaro/2024/02/07/now-we-care-about-inflation-abcnbc-discover-americans-paying; 2/7/24, 6:10 PM
narciso said...: https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/fraudulent-case-against-violent-settlers; 2/7/24, 6:12 PM
narciso said...: https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1755373945191068024; 2/7/24, 6:16 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Before we watch traitor Tucker puff piece with Putin, we should watch some real hardcore journalism, the journalism of giants like Edward R Morrow and Walter Cronkite. So we can compare and contrast and make up our own minds.; 2/7/24, 6:26 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Headline: “Trump crushing Biden in small dollar donations as Biden courts the wealthy“

Trump’s small donation lead includes every election swing state.

Could be something, and it could be nothing.; 2/7/24, 6:30 PM
narciso said...: https://redstate.com/jeffc/2024/02/07/dick-durbin-needs-to-shut-the-hell-up-about-clarence-thomas-and-the-14th-amendment-case-n2169799; 2/7/24, 6:41 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I need to confirm this but there’s a royal expert called by a local talk show here in the Atlanta area and her name is Vicki.

I’m thinking what are the chances that’s our Victoria.; 2/7/24, 7:01 PM
Eva Marie said...: Clyde: That’s a great ad. Heart breaking truth. The Democrats are well on their way to destroying the jewel that is/was California and Hamas has destroyed Gaza. Gaza would be a tourist destination if not for Hamas.; 2/7/24, 7:09 PM
Dave Begley said...: Ann:

Will you live blog the SCOTUS argument in the Trump case tomorrow?; 2/7/24, 7:14 PM
Old and slow said...: The Gaza holiday ad is entirely honest. The choice was theirs to make. They chose poorly.; 2/7/24, 7:16 PM
Jaq said...: I have this theory that if all of the songwriters were mentally healthy, we would not have very many great songs. "Rehab" is a great song, for example, "Jackson" is a great song, so when Althouse posts one of these stories on this or that psychological condition, I like to think about which songs it's responsible for. For "limerence" I have "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "I Can't Stop Loving You," and of course, Linda Rondstat checks in with one, "Long, Long Time," which is probably the greatest of the bunch.; 2/7/24, 7:33 PM
MadTownGuy said...: The Sin, suspended above a golden pillar. Magnifique!; 2/7/24, 9:01 PM
MadTownGuy said...: Merrick Garland can't be serious:

Biden classified document case ends without charges

"An independent investigation into classified documents found at the home of President Joe Biden and a think tank office he used has concluded, a letter sent to Congress on Wednesday said, without indication of any criminal charges being brought.

The letter from Attorney General Merrick Garland to congressional leaders did not include a copy of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, which is being reviewed by a legal privilege team. It provided few details about the investigation and made no mention of charges.

The attorney general said Hur filed his final report Monday and the bulk of it is expected to be made public soon.

“I am committed to making as much of the Special Counsel’s report public as possible, consistent with legal requirements and Department policy,” Garland wrote in the one-page letter.

Garland said the release of the report was waiting on a legal privilege review by Biden’s White House Counsel’s Office.

White House spokesperson Ian Sams said the review should be complete later this week.

The attorney general appointed Hur in January 2023 to conduct an independent investigation into the discovery of classified records in the garage at Biden’s Delaware residence and in files at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.
Hur was named as special counsel about two months after Garland tapped former federal prosecutor Jack Smith to serve as special counsel to investigate the handling of classified documents by former President Donald Trump at his home in Florida and elsewhere.

About 300 classified documents were found at Trump’s home in Palm Beach. There were about 20 at the Biden-related sites.

Hur and his team interviewed Biden over two days in October.

The following month, officials speaking on condition of anonymity said no criminal charges were expected in the case.

Regardless of the findings of Hur’s probe, criminal charges for Biden were unlikely because of longstanding Justice Department legal opinions effectively precluding charges against a sitting president.

The opinions from Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel don’t rule out charges against a former president, however. Trump was hit with such an indictment last June, accusing him of willfully retaining classified information without permission and with obstruction of justice. Further charges were added in July. Trump has pleaded not guilty to all the charges and has accused Smith of being on a political vendetta."; 2/7/24, 9:23 PM
Big Mike said...: I try to write everything with an awareness of what I don't know.

@Althouse, you wrote that in a comment in the thread for the Biden/Hamas gaffe. Do you think you might try that with the Republicans and conservatives and Normals? I’m sure you think you are already doing so, but from where I stand there’s a lot you don’t know and don’t seem to care about learning.; 2/7/24, 9:54 PM
Jaq said...: Keep the snow away from your heat pumps, climate scouts!

https://www.smalldeadanimals.com/2024/02/07/we-dont-need-no-gasping-heat-pumps/

Nuclear power could solve the whole problem, but that would be too easy.; 2/7/24, 10:23 PM
Wandering Badger said...: So much in "Politics" is such a mess (border, Hamas supporting Universities and crowds, Trump trials, cashless bail/release, wokeness in general) - how about some meaningless fun.
What's the betting on how many times the network will show Taylor Swift during the Super Bowl ? My bet is 10 times.; 2/7/24, 10:26 PM
Iman said...: R.I.P. Mojo Nixon.; 2/7/24, 10:42 PM
Ampersand said...: It so far seems to have been a mild winter for Lake Mendota.; 2/7/24, 11:39 PM
gadfly said...: As was the case with Mike Pence, Special Counsel Robert Hur, charged with investigating classified documents found among Joe Biden's papers has completed his investigation on President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents after his vice presidency, finding no charges to bring.

Meanwhile, Trump's favorite political Circuit judge in South Florida, Aileen Cannon, continues to find ways, when prompted by Trump, to further delay the Mar-a-Lago classified document case which was initially scheduled for trial in May.; 2/8/24, 12:46 AM
gadfly said...: Trump wrote. “Anheuser-Busch is a Great American Brand that perhaps deserves a Second Chance? What do you think? Perhaps, instead, we should be going after those companies that are looking to DESTROY AMERICA!”

More lies. Financial disclosures show Trump holds as much as 5 million dollars in Anheuser-Busch Inbev stock, raising questions about the ethics of his apparent endorsement. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV is a Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. Not headquartered in St. Louis anymore.; 2/8/24, 3:11 AM
wendybar said...: Dean Phillips
@deanbphillips
I’m attacked for being honest and saying the quiet part out loud - the part DC insiders only do in private.

I admire our President. I voted for him and campaigned for him. He has visited my home and been gracious to my family and our country.

But shame on all of you pretending everything is ok. You are leading us - and him - into a disaster, and you damn well know it.; 2/8/24, 3:55 AM
wendybar said...: "“Have you ever seen this much chocolate lead in the city of New York?” Adam asked.

His cabinet, “is representative of the city. That’s why people are hating on me.”

He then compared himself to Jesus cleansing the temple, presumably of white males — but that’s a level of narcissism beyond mere newspaper analysis."

We don't hate you because you are chocolate....we hate you because you are a Progressive asshole who bragged about being a Sanctuary for Illegals that you are now blaming on the Texas Governor, when you should be blaming the WHITE President you voted for and work for. And that YOU are a divisive RACE BAITER just like Al Sharpton who gets away with calling what's happening at the border an INVASION, whilst Trump gets called a RACIST for saying that same exact thing.

https://nypost.com/2024/02/07/opinion/note-to-nyc-mayor-adams-youre-not-criticized-because-youre-chocolate-or-jesus/; 2/8/24, 4:46 AM
Big Mike said...: I suppose someone can take it upon themselves to explain why it was okay for Mike Wallace to interview Ayatollah Khomeini back in November 1979 but not okay for Tucker Carlson to interview Vlad Putin.; 2/8/24, 5:16 AM
Humperdink said...: Speaking of the pay gap, Caitlin Clark, University of Iowa basketball star, makes a reported $750K through the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) program. That is twice that of the highest paid WNBA player.; 2/8/24, 5:50 AM
wendybar said...: Biden talking to dead people AGAIN.

https://nypost.com/2024/02/08/news/biden-says-he-discussed-jan-6-capitol-riot-with-former-german-chancellor-helmut-kohl-who-died-in-2017/; 2/8/24, 6:09 AM
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...: I’m always amazed at how much ignorance badfly can work into a paragraph, here showing that he is unaware how stock shares work, that individual stockholders are free to state their opinion of the company, which ethics rules apply, how multinational corporations with operations here work, what a brand is (as opposed to a company or corporation) and that labeling what Trump wrote as “lies” when coupled to the mish mash of jargon presented says so much more about him than the (missed) target of his ire.; 2/8/24, 6:34 AM
Kai Akker said...: --- ...a disaster, and you damn well know it.

One by one.; 2/8/24, 6:39 AM
Humperdink said...: Peter Doocy asks White House spokesidiot Kringe Jean-Pierre about Slo' Joe conversing with the dead French leader François Mitterrand. Jean-Pierre shuts him down without answering.

Funny commentary from PJ Media's morning briefing:

"Let us now consider an even more disturbing possibility: maybe KJP doesn't know who François Mitterrand was. If she does, she might be unaware that he's been dead for almost 30 years. It's safe to say that she hasn't read any conservative media coverage of Biden's imaginary one-on-one. Given that the left media hasn't covered it at all means that she could be in the dark about the particulars of the story.

One way to bolster a mentally iffy leader is to surround that leader with a cast of idiots who make him look good."; 2/8/24, 6:40 AM
donald said...: No more Dan McClain, No more Buddy Siegel, now no more Neil Kirby McMillan Jr.

That’s Country Dick, Buddy Blue and now Mojo. Sad. But ya know what? I looooove Country!; 2/8/24, 6:46 AM
William50 said...: George Santos would have voted yes to impeach Mayorkas.

Just saying...; 2/8/24, 6:55 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: "What's the betting on how many times the network will show Taylor Swift during the Super Bowl? My bet is 10 times."

The formula is (Chiefs touchdowns)+(T Kelce receptions)

I think you're low.; 2/8/24, 7:14 AM
Jersey Fled said...: “Financial disclosures show Trump holds as much as 5 million dollars in Anheuser-Busch Inbev stock”

Gadfly:

Trump owning 5 million dollars in Anheuser-Busch stock is like you owning 5 cents worth.; 2/8/24, 7:34 AM
Aggie said...: Gadfly sez: "More lies. Financial disclosures show Trump holds as much as 5 million dollars in Anheuser-Busch Inbev stock...."

You know what sounds like a lie? Saying 'Trump holds the stock', and then not saying 'how much'. What does 'as much as' mean, any number north of zero and less than five million and one, once upon a time? Does he hold it now, or not - and how much? And 'informed insider experts say.....', while it's a lot of money to me, and maybe you, would it be a significant holding to a billionaire?

Too bad Trump didn't write a 'mean tweet', so you could be critical on safe ground.; 2/8/24, 7:39 AM
cfs said...: I saw this on "X" and thought it an interesting issue to follow over the next few weeks and months to see if anything further comes from it.

Peter Bernegger
@PeterBernegger

An ethics complaint has been filed against Michael J Steinle for campaign finance violations for $1,447,196.38. This is just the tip of the iceberg with this guy for campaign money laundering and other finance violations. He is an attorney out of Milwaukee. But he is also the Treasurer for Janet Protasiewicz's campaign. Justice For Janet, as I call her, is the drunk Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice.

Protasiewicz is the one I had a private investigator follow. She would have court dates set for 8am (back when she was a circuit court judge) and would not even leave her house until 8:20am or later - making all of the court staff and both parties sit and wait for her. Then, every time, she was speeding like a maniac while talking on her cell phone held up to her ear. Janet is an alcoholic. Her own staff would take her car keys away from her on the bad days so she would not get caught driving drunk.

Yes, some of these are personal problems, but they are extremely relevant to us all when she is making decisions about all of our lives. The bottom line is she didn't win her election to the bench; she purchased it with criminally laundered money. Steinle conspired with her, with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, with ActBlue along with others to do it. I will be going after Steinle's law license.; 2/8/24, 8:21 AM
Kakistocracy said...: MTG wrote: "Merrick Garland can't be serious"....

Per reports, no charges for Biden. No charges for Pence. 37 counts against Trump. Compare and contrast.

You would think that it also would be worth mentioning that Trump repeatedly lied about having classified material in his possession and actively sought to obstruct the identification and recovery of the material, while Biden and Pence voluntary sought and self-reported the discovery of classified material.; 2/8/24, 8:26 AM
NKP said...: The self-described Lem wrote,

"Before we watch traitor Tucker puff piece with Putin, we should watch some real hardcore journalism, the journalism of giants like Edward R Morrow and Walter Cronkite."

North Vietnam went all-in on the Tet Offensive and got destroyed on the battlefield. Gen Giap was astonished when Walter Cronkite snatched defeat from the jaws of victory by declaring Vietnam was a war that America could not win. No hardcore jounalist ever gave greater aid and comfort to an enemy. Walter just looked so damn trustworthy on the tube.

Imagine what Walter would have told the American people after taking a ride in an 8th Air Force bomber over Schweinfurt. Or, reporting from Omaha Beach or Corregidor.; 2/8/24, 8:40 AM
hawkeyedjb said...: Humperdink said...
"Speaking of the pay gap, Caitlin Clark, University of Iowa basketball star, makes a reported $750K through the NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) program. That is twice that of the highest paid WNBA player."

Good for her! Every Iowa game, home and away, is sold out this season. I don't think you could say that about any WNBA team.; 2/8/24, 9:03 AM
Humperdink said...: Rich said: " .. while Biden and Pence voluntary sought and self-reported the discovery of classified material."

Interesting statement Rich. You conveniently left out that neither Biden nor Pence were president (at the time) and therefore violated the law by merely possessing such documents. You also failed to note that neither reported their possession until after Melania's underwear drawer was raided by your pals at the FIB.

Let me also add that leaving out half of the truth to make your point is lying.; 2/8/24, 9:32 AM
wendybar said...: Aggie said...
Gadfly sez: "More lies. Financial disclosures show Trump holds as much as 5 million dollars in Anheuser-Busch Inbev stock...."

Now do Pelosi, and all of her insider trading stocks.; 2/8/24, 9:44 AM
Big Mike said...: One way to bolster a mentally iffy leader is to surround that leader with a cast of idiots who make him look good.

@Humperdink, there’s an old business adage: “A quality managers hire A quality people, B quality managers hire Cs.”

Best day of his life a Joe Biden may have been a C. These days he’s a D minus.; 2/8/24, 9:51 AM
Mason G said...: "What does 'as much as' mean, any number north of zero and less than five million and one, once upon a time?"

A "financial disclosure" that could be any amount between zero and five million? There's not much disclosing going on, is there? So what's the point- it's not to inform anyone, that's for sure.; 2/8/24, 10:43 AM
Iman said...: A lot of people say, “Dumb bitch?” It’s Rich!
A lot of people ask, “Who’s he? Or she?”
A ma’am or a sir, accept him or her
or whatever it might be
He’ll drag his brain through a ditch
Here comes Rich!; 2/8/24, 11:01 AM
donald said...: I forgot to call Mojo by his real name.

That was Neil Kirby McMillen Jr. He deserves that.; 2/8/24, 11:10 AM
Gospace said...: Rich said...
...
You would think that it also would be worth mentioning that Trump repeatedly lied about having classified material in his possession and actively sought to obstruct the identification and recovery of the material, while Biden and Pence voluntary sought and self-reported the discovery of classified material.

No, he didn't. While POTUS- he declassified it. Proving he didn't is an exercise in futility. He doesn't have to prove he did.; 2/8/24, 12:03 PM
iowan2 said...: p, Caitlin Clark, University of Iowa basketball star, makes a reported $750K through the NIL

Clarks Net Worth is is estimated just over $3 million

As noted in other comments, she has sold out every venue, home or away. Something the WNBA is not doing. TV revenue is also off the charts. That's just the money part. The goodwill for the sport is off the charts, and that lands 100% on Clark. Every little girl in the country is leaning how to dribble.

IF you have not taken the time to watch the Lady Hawks play, tonite is a great night to tune in.
Big Ten Network 8:00pm cst vs Penn State
FOX Sunday at Noon cst. vs Nebraska.

Be ready to appreciate some running of the floor and great passing.

Clark is not only the leading in Scoring, but at or near the top in Assists. She also has 5 triple doubles.; 2/8/24, 12:42 PM
iowan2 said...: Proving he didn't is an exercise in futility. He doesn't have to prove he did.

Technically, no one has the constitutional power to challenge his assertion. The Classified eco system lives 100% inside Presidential power.; 2/8/24, 12:51 PM
Mason G said...: "Technically, no one has the constitutional power to challenge his assertion. The Classified eco system lives 100% inside Presidential power."

But Trump...; 2/8/24, 1:22 PM
hawkeyedjb said...: iowan2 said...
"IF you have not taken the time to watch the Lady Hawks play..."

The Iowa women are emphatically NOT the Lady Hawks, they are Hawkeyes like all the other Iowa athletes.

But that aside, I second your recommendation to tune in and watch a bunch of really good all-around basketball players. I find Clark's passing just as amazing as her scoring. The Hawkeyes are coached by the amazing Lisa Bluder, who began her collegiate coaching career at age 23 and has had great success at three Iowa schools. She has had three seasons with losing records in 40 years of coaching. Go Hawks!; 2/8/24, 1:51 PM
Kakistocracy said...: Special Counsel Hur's report says criminal charges against Biden wouldn't be warranted even if DOJ didn't have an internal policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. That’s what an exoneration looks like. I suppose the report is potentially embarrassing for Biden, but it’s orders of magnitude better than what Trump is facing.; 2/8/24, 2:18 PM
Rusty said...: Rich said...
"Special Counsel Hur's report says criminal charges against Biden wouldn't be warranted even if DOJ didn't have an internal policy against prosecuting sitting presidents. That’s what an exoneration looks like. I suppose the report is potentially embarrassing for Biden, but it’s orders of magnitude better than what Trump is facing."
In what way? What is diferent about Trumps case?; 2/8/24, 3:53 PM