Who would’ve imagined that Lindsey Graham would beat The Turtle to Hell?
Not me.
Of course, Mitch McConnell may already be down there waiting on him, with dibs on the top bunk at the Lake O’ Fire Lodge. The usually reliable sources remain as silent as the grave.
Above the sod we hear all of the usual chin music about Graham’s alleged statesmanship, independence, compromise, influence, bipartisanship, and so on.
But I think Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo gets it just about right when he writes that “there’s another feature of his personality and political career that is key to understanding the man. He always needed a daddy. Or let’s say a political leader. A top dog.”
“That is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know,” as HST would say. Say hello to the new boss, bitch. Bow wow wow yippie yo yippie yay.
Mad Blog Media 
“I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people.”
Matthew 16:26 springs to mind.
All hail the Funky Dog!
Unlike some who have a talent with words, journalistic bona fides, and sharper intellectual credentials than I, I’d like to think I do have a respect for human decency.
I certainly respect and value and support the US 1st Amendment ….. hence my following comments.
Unless I’m mistaken, and if so please correct me PO’G, you’re no longer facing deadlines, writing for column inches/word count or for-profit clicks, clickbait, and market share. ?????
So …. with all due respect to Mad Blog readers and commenters, of which I’m occasionally one, may I say that the above headline and post are, to me …. BEYOND THE PALE of human decency.
As I read the post … and very limited responses (is that a clue?) … superficial and pre-pubescent middle-school journalism/texting came to mind as a juvenile way to falsely exercise our 1st Amendment rights while venting our frustrations ….. without offering solutions. And also the venting of political/personal frustrations with the current state of American discourse. SO WHY CONTRIBUTE TO AND EXACERBATE SUCH A VEHEMENT/VITRIOLIC/HYPERBOLIC DISCOURSE?
I thought long and hard (at least 11 hours) about whether I wanted to reply; crafted several responses; and finally decided upon the above feedback.
Why? Because my experience in writing and speaking encouraged “fighting for feedback” … and so you now have it.
Since Matthew 16:26 was mentioned, I’d suggest we all look at the “Golden Rule” encompassed in all major religions/philosophies over the ages: “Treat others as you would like to be treated”.
Please vote, use civil and respectful discourse as you advocate, and respect that “if we all thought the same way, life would be pretty boring”.
Hi JD. In most every circumstance I would agree with you and not commented with the words trump used about Robert Mueller. But, trump and his enablers, like Graham, changed the rules. They use your civility and humanity against you. When trump said that about Robert Mueller, my treasure of compassion left the house. Like Robert Mueller, I went to Vietnam. He was a grunt, a rifleman, a commander of a Marine infantry company who was wounded, usually a ticket home, but decided to return to his company and the field. I will not mourn Graham, and certainly would not mourn the other chickenhawk REMF either. So, you go your way, and I’ll go mine.
Morning, JD. Comment noted and appreciated.
A couple of things:
You’ve been hanging around here — how long? — and only just yesterday realized that occasionally I get mad? You gotta pay closer attention, son.
I’ve used that “dies, goes to Hell” headline at least four times now, for Dick Cheney, Ronald Rumsfeld, Robert McNamara, and now Lindsey Graham. I will use it again, including on my own obit, which I will write and edit myself to make certain it includes everything that needs saying.
In all four instances I regret nothing. Lindsey Graham was a shapeshifting suckfish who was interested primarily in what was good for Lindsey Graham. He attached himself to whichever apex predator was doing the business at any given time, and a story I read some years ago — can’t find it referenced on the blog, though I thought I had mentioned it at the time — quoted any number of people, from friends to colleagues to acquaintances, who said on the record that he seemed to have no core principles beyond self-aggrandizement.
That he made such an abrupt U-turn on Trump was a new low, even for him. He was a willing, even eager, accomplice in the bloody crimes of this unhinged administration (and others before it). I said unkind things about him while he was alive and saw no reason to stop merely because he was dead.
This blog is not “news.” It is “opinion.” I read a ton and cite sources whenever possible, but in the end, what I write here is generally what I think. Writing helps me clarify what I think. Occasionally I will write something I do not think just to see what other people think. Parody, satire, invective, blasphemy, etc., et al., and so on and so on, and scooby-dooby-doo-bee.
I am not a Christian, and certainly not God, so despite my interest in the Bible for its poetry and wild inconsistencies — all those unpaid hacks and not a single copy editor? Was it an early Gannett project? — I have no power to consign Lindsey Graham to the Hell in which I do not believe. I hope you will find some solace in that.
And I trust you have been chiding our “leaders” on their use of intemperate language, among other things. What they say (and do) packs a little more heft and reach than the intemperate musings of an elderly New Mexico blogger.
Hi JD: I respect very much what you have said and how you have said it. I appreciate that you took so long to think about it and decided to post it. I do not fully agree with what you have said but I agree that many times we can all be more decent. As POB refers to above, if only those in significant power and influence chose to practice decency of language and commenting as respectable leaders have in the past. But many have not and some of those may receive disrespectful commenting on obscure cycling blog sites. With that said, I only know L. Graham from his political practices and may I say that I hope he is now facing the true consequences of his actions and decisions.
And may many more people be as thoughtful as you have been with your opinion.
“ I hope he is now facing the true consequences of his actions and decisions.” Well he’s not- he’s dead. And good riddance. ‘Nuff said.
Steve Schmidt had this to say regarding L. Graham…
https://steveschmidt.substack.com/p/lindsey-knew-better-he-chose-worse
Ouch. That’d leave a mark, if Graham were still around to show the bruises.
John Cole, founder of Balloon-Juice (a former rightie gone wrongie and a fave of the late Kevin Drum), likewise took the ex-senator downtown. Beautiful plumage. …
Charles P. Pierce has a few thoughts too.
It seems that JD has left the conversation. It is a conversation. Civil even.
So, I think I will take my pre-pubescent middle school self into the front room and play some blues.
I’m about ready for a nap. Woke up way too early, emptied the dishwasher, fed and medicated Miss Mia, scooped out her litter box, made coffee and toast, put out the recycling and trash, dragged the empty bins back to their resting places, made smoothies, washed the dishes, replied to JD’s comment, went for a 5K run with Herself, lifted weights, mowed and trimmed the lawn, scanned a few sites (The New York Times, The Guardian, Mother Jones, The Nation, The Atlantic, The Associated Press, Balloon-Juice, Digby’s Hullabaloo, Charles P. Pierce at Esquire, a few others), made tea and lunch, did those dishes … and now I’m sleepy for some reason.
I dunno how anyone can say retirement is boring.
Ain’t that the truth! We were awakened at midnight by one hell of a thunderstorm. Thunder rattled the paintings on the wall. lightning was non-stop, and 3/4 inch of rain. Didn’t get back to sleep until 0130.
Shopping, cleaning veggies, then cooking and cleaning. Working on this one for the next jam. Simple 12 bar blues, but fun in a group because there are many opportunities for folks to take a lead.
JD, before 2016, he was an asshole. However, he was smart enough in 2016 to recognize that Trump was Batcrap Crazy. Then, after ingesting the Trump Kool-Aid be became a flaming asshole. Can’t say anything nice. …………………….
Steve Schmidt wrote a more caustic version of what I would have written. I don’t disagree with Mr. Schmidt. If Graham had a conscience that outweighed his lust for relevance, he likely would have made different choices. Lindsey Graham, who grew up poor in Bunghole (er, I mean Central), SC, suffered from Dr. Faust Syndrome. He traded his soul for “relevance” and to stay relevant, he had to tie his fortune to a bigger star. In the last ten years, a dark star. For that, he will be judged.
Other than that, I generally don’t like to piss on other people’s graves. What goes around, comes around, and I would hate to feel that trickle on my face some day when I am on the other side of the sod.
Enough said by me.
Oh, and the bad news? Pat Oliphant just went west.
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/pat-oliphant-dies-at-90/article_38d31a6f-19f0-4140-bd91-cfe171060120.html
Late to the party as usual but when Michelle Obama said “when they go low, we go high” she was wrong. It got us where? Yes I can act like a juvenile schoolboy JD and what I learned back then is what to do/say with bullies. And lordy we have a slew of them running our woeful government at this time. I say, slap them down now before they get stronger. It sickens me deeply to see LG portrayed as a statesman. He had his say and we are having ours.
Word Herb, mi amigo.
How is the air quality in your area? Pix I see from Detroit look like you could cut the air up with a knife. It looked very smokey from the wildfires our friends in Canadia are dealing with.