It's Already Dead, Joe

Joe Scarborough:

The day I hung up on Donald Trump, I asked on air, “Is this what Germany looked like in 1933?” Later, I warned Republicans that Trump’s rhetoric could lead to a brokered convention where “the party will kill itself.” But it looks like I overestimated primary voters in the early GOP contests. A brokered convention is now just the fantasy of Republican elites and Marco Rubio fans. The harsher reality is that the next GOP nominee will be a man who refused to condemn the Ku Klux Klan and one of its most infamous Grand Wizards when telling the ugly truth wouldn’t have cost him a single vote.

So is this how the party of Abraham Lincoln dies?

The "party of Lincoln" died when Richard Nixon adopted his "Southern Strategy" in 1968, when Ronald Reagan kicked off his 1980 campaign in the town where civil rights workers were murdered, and when notorious racists such as Jesse Helms jumped on board. More dirt was piled on that mouldering corpse when George H.W. Bush ran his "the nigras are coming to rape your kids" campaign ad in 1988.

Neither Nixon nor Reagan nor either of the Bushes would have sent Army soldiers to enforce a desegregation order. Unlike President Eisenhower.

Is This the Trump-Killer?

From today's "State of the Union with Jake Tapper":

TAPPER: I want to ask you about the Anti-Defamation League, which this week called on you to publicly condemn unequivocally the racism of former KKK grand wizard David Duke, who recently said that voting against you at this point would be treason to your heritage.

Will you unequivocally condemn David Duke and say that you don't want his vote or that of other white supremacists in this election?

TRUMP: Well, just so you understand, I don't know anything about David Duke. OK? I don't know anything about what you're even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists. So, I don't know.

I don't know, did he endorse me or what's going on, because, you know, I know nothing about David Duke. I know nothing about white supremacists. And so you're asking me a question that I'm supposed to be talking about people that I know nothing about.

TAPPER: But I guess the question from the Anti-Defamation League is, even if you don't know about their endorsement, there are these groups and individuals endorsing you. Would you just say unequivocally you condemn them and you don't want their support?

TRUMP: Well, I have to look at the group. I mean, I don't know what group you're talking about.

You wouldn't want me to condemn a group that I know nothing about. I would have to look. If you would send me a list of the groups, I will do research on them. And, certainly, I would disavow if I thought there was something wrong.

TAPPER: The Ku Klux Klan?

TRUMP: But you may have groups in there that are totally fine, and it would be very unfair. So, give me a list of the groups, and I will let you know.

TAPPER: OK. I mean, I'm just talking about David Duke and the Ku Klux Klan here, but...

TRUMP: I don't know any -- honestly, I don't know David Duke. I don't believe I have ever met him. I'm pretty sure I didn't meet him. And I just don't know anything about him.

Between not wanting to condemn the Klan and denying that he's never heard of David Duke, well, either Trump is an idiot or he's basically giving a wet one to the white supremacists. And I don't think he's an idiot.

Will this hurt him in the primaries? I sort of think not. But you can bet your next paycheck that footage from that interview is going to be cut into political campaign commercial that will air in places where people well remember the evil of the Klan and of David Duke.

And if the RNC hasn't begun to mainline vodka, I'd be very much surprised. Their only hope may be to figure out a way to deadlock the first vote at the convention. At that point, all of the delegates are free actors. Otherwise, as they know, come November, the GOP is going to play the role of the RMS Titanic and Trump will be guest-starring as The Iceberg.

Meg Whitman has an Attack of the Vapours

Meg Whitman, the CEO of Hewlett-Packard who had an official role with Gov. Chris Christie's now-suspended presidential campaign, called his endorsement of Trump, "an astonishing display of political opportunism."

For somebody who has run for statewide office to be shocked, shocked at the sight of political opportunism is about as hypocritical as it gets.

What Political Surrender Looks Like; Virginia Edition

Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe on Friday signed compromise gun legislation that recognizes concealed-carry permits from all states while making it illegal for someone under a permanent protective order to possess a firearm.

Virginia's AG had abrogated a slew of concealed-carry reciprocity agreements, which began the fight with the Legislature. The deal ended the fight.

Make no mistake: McAuliffe lost the fight. The new law apparently removes the AG's discretion as to whether or not to grant reciprocity with other states. The "no guns for people under permanent protection orders" merely brings state law into agreement with Federal law.

Over 360,000 Virginians have concealed carry permits. That's a lot of voters to piss off. McAuliffe won by 2.5% in an election that had a 43% turnout. Giving 190,000 people who didn't vote the last time a reason to turn out and vote for the other guy probably didn't make sense to him.

Even if it did piss off our National Nanny.

(H/T)

The Worst of the Worst; Talkies Edition

The Razzies for 2015 were awarded last night.

(About the Razzies)

Your Sunday Morning Jet Noise

The Voodoo!

Trump's Endorsements

In increasing order of craziness: Chris Christie, Paul LePage, Jan Brewer and David Duke.

No points for guessing which one The Donald disavowed.

The reality of the situation is that the votes of the certifiable count as much as anyone else's.

On another note, there were rumblings of The Donald's presidential ambitions a quarter-century ago. That article has a lot of really disquieting shit in it about Trump, enough that I wonder what sort of researchers both Rubio and Cruz employ that they haven't mined the gold from it.

And since Cruz employs one of the leading scumbags of American political campaigning, it's a real mystery.

Caturday

Jake's a little perturbed. The sheets and pillows are off (wash day) and the covers are roughly pulled up to cover the bed.

Misunderestimating the Odds; Drill, Baby, Drill Edition

From a Carl Hiaasen column, dated Dec. 7, 1987:

The U.S. government just released a hefty environmental impact study containing this reassuring, computer-generated conclusion: If oil exploration commences up and down the Gulf of Mexico, there’s merely a 48 percent chance that a major spill will smear the beaches within 35 years.

Didn't take nearly that long.

Dear Air Force: With Regard to the Joint Aircraft Designation System That You Foisted On Everyone Else-- Go Fuck Yourselves

What the hell happened to B-3 through B-20? The Air Force gets to trash the whole aircraft numbering system in favor of an execrable PR-laden excuse of a designation for their latest money-pit?

U.S. Air Force Secretary Deborah James, unveiling the first image of a new Northrop Grumman long-range bomber on Friday, said it would be designated the B-21.

Maybe they ought to call it the "B-2.1". Or maybe the number indicates how many the Air Force might possibly get to build.

Fucking zoomies. "Worthless" doesn't even come close to describing the utility of the Air Force.

So anyway, from here on out, the current Navy fighter is the F5H. The one they want to build is the F2O. The ASW helo is the HSS-3. AEW: W2F. COD: R2F-1. Big fucking helo: HU3S.

The Air Force is like a fan: If you stand in front of them, they blow; if you stand behind them, they suck; and if you stand beside them, they don't do a damn thing for you.