SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 2025
...for the way he sat in his chair: Bright and early, at 6:07 a.m., Peter Doocy gave voice to the mandated messaging of his corporate owners.
In his normal role, Doocy serves as the Fox News Channel's "senior White House correspondent." This morning, he was serving as the (temporary) third friend on the four-hour corporate messaging program, Fox & Friends Weekend.
Five minutes into the program, Doocy delivered the mail on behalf of his owners. Perhaps a bit remarkably, this is what he said:
DOOCY (3/2/25): Nothing is going to happen until he apologizes for the way that he acted in the Oval Office. Nothing!
And he keeps— He's now on a world tour where he will not just stand there in front of a microphone and say, "I apologize, I accept responsibility, for my actions in the Oval."
Thus spoke Peter Doocy; the other friends quickly agreed. Thus spoke the senior correspondent—and so speaks the Fox News Channel.
Pull out his eyes, apologize—but Zelensky refuses to do it! For many people, a fairly obvious question might arise at this point:
We're told that Zelensky needs to apologize—but apologize for what? For what specific "actions in the Oval" is he supposed to acknowledge his guilt?
Yesterday, we actually spent a chunk of time trying to puzzle that out. For the record, it seems that the White House has settled on the answer, as described by CNBC in this news report:
Trump objected to Zelenskyy’s tone and body language in Oval Office clash, White House says
President Donald Trump found the tone and body language of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy objectionable during an Oval Office meeting that exploded into a loud argument on Friday, the White House told CNBC.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there was not a specific thing that Zelenskyy said in the Oval Office to Trump or Vice President JD Vance that the president objected to, but the tone and manner in which he said it.
Leavitt said Friday that Zelenskyy—whose country was invaded three years ago by Russia at the direction of its president, Vladimir Putin—was folding his arms, rolling his eyes and sitting in a way that indicated a lack of respect.
Leavitt also pointed out that Zelenskyy called Vance “JD,” instead of “Mr. Vice President,” during the fiery exchange, which was televised in front of reporters in the Oval Office.
As it turned out, it wasn't some specific thing Zelensky actually said. It was the gentleman's body language, including the way he sat in his chair.
Zelensky had been rolling his eyes, plus he'd been folding his arms. It was these elements of his body language which eventually set Trump and Vance off.
If you believe CNBC, that's what Leavitt said. Anthropologically, we would offer this:
When we humans reach "peak tribal war," almost any negative characterization of The Oher will do. An authority figure's characterizations will be accepted as convincing—indeed, as gospel—by the furious members of the angry tribe.
Full disclosure! According to CNBC, Leavitt said that Zelensky had signaled his disrespect in several other ways. The report continues as shown:
The clash occurred when Zelenskyy challenged the idea that Russia could be trusted to honor the terms of any peace deal that would be reached through diplomacy. Vance then accused the Ukrainian leader of being “disrespectful” by “trying to litigate” the terms of such a deal in the Oval Office.
Press secretary Leavitt said that White House officials were also annoyed that Zelenskyy did not wear a suit during his visit Friday, which abruptly ended with a scheduled news conference and meal both canceled after the Oval Office blow-up.
When CNBC noted that the White House did not appear to have a problem with top Trump advisor Elon Musk recently appearing in the Oval Office next to the president wearing a t-shirt and a baseball cap, Leavitt said that was different because the billionaire Tesla CEO is not the leader of a “sovereign nation.”
Trump earlier Friday had greeted Zelenskyy outside the White House by saying, “Oh look, you’re all dressed up.”
Muskwear YES, Zelenskywear NO! At times of peak tribal division, almost any distinction will do.
Yesterday, messengers on the Fox News Channel recited Leavitt's messaging. Last evening, at 7:06 p.m., it fell to Joey Johnny Jones to perform the reading of script.
Jones was co-hosting on The Big Weekend Show, one of the dumbest programs in the history of TV "news." The program features four co-hosts, each of whom will agree with every word the other co-hosts have said.
The program is so preternaturally dumb that Fox has now made it a two-hour show. Early in last night's second hour, Jones told viewers this:
JONES (3/1/25): Zelensky still hasn't apologized for what Trump calls "disrespect." But according to someone inside the room, what really set the fireworks off was Zelensky's body language. Apparently, thirty minutes of head-shaking and eye-rolling was just too much for President Trump and V.P. Vance.
"According to someone inside the room," Trump and Vance had managed to tolerate "thirty minutes of head-shaking and eye-rolling" from their horrible guest.
Finally, though, the body language turned out to be "just too much!" It was just too much even for them!
That's according to someone inside the room. As he continued, Jones explained why some people mistakenly thought that Trump and Vance behaved rather badly as the session neared its end:
JONES (continuing directly): Lisa [Boothe], I don't know if you've gone back and looked at the whole forty minutes. I had to do it, because people on X started pointing out that the majority of people in this country that are reacting to this strongly only saw that last ten minutes, maybe, of a forty-minute press conference where Zelensky was eye-rolling, body language, the whole time.
The people who thought Trump and Vance behaved badly hadn't seen the full event! They hadn't seen the initial thirty minutes of incessant eye-rolling, as Jones apparently did when he went back looked at the full tape for himself.
Instantly, Boothe agreed. As she did, here's what the chyron said:
BAD BODY LANGUAGE
ZELENSKYY DISRESPECTED PRESIDENT TRUMP & VP VANCE
Mandated message delivered! Quickly, let's summarize:
According to Jones, many people were reacting to the last ten minutes of Friday's event—to the part of the event where Trump and Vance finally melted down.
According to Jones, those people hadn't seen the first thirty minutes of the event—the part of the session where Zelensky engaged in "eye-rolling" and "[bad] body language" the whole time.
For the record, Jones is very "down home." At one time, he struck us as instinctively honest.
Last night, we were struck by his presentation. Here's why we were surprised:
In fact, we had already watched the videotape of the entire event. We'd been looking for all the eye-rolling that was described in CNBC's report.
We'd already watched the whole forty minutes—and we hadn't spotted a single instance! On this C-Span videotape, you can give it a try yourself.
Pull out his eyes, apologize! As we noted yesterday, this scary demand was initially made of the very young James Joyce. Over the past forty-eight hours, every messenger in the Fox News / Trump White House universe has been insisting that Zelensky should apologize too.
Zelensky needs to apologize—but what should he apologize for? Right there on the Fox News Channel, Jones and Doocy spelled it out, and the other tools all played along.
He should apologize for his body language—for the way he sat in his chair! He should apologize for the thirty minutes of eye-rolls—for the eye-rolls which don't seem to be there!
Go ahead—search the tape! See if you can spot a single instance where Zelensky rolls his eyes.
According to Jones, he did it all through the lengthy event. Finally, it was just too much, even for Trump and Vance!
Has Joey Jones sold his soul to the gods—to the people who sign his checks? In answer to that sensible question, we will only say this:
This bullshit flows all day and all night on the Fox News Channel. Can a very large modern nation really expect to survive this system of corporate deception?
We're inclined to think that the answer is no. That said, Blue America's elites refuse to report or comment on this behavior.
It's a gong-show at the Fox News Channel—an imitation of life. It's a remarkable act of avoidance by the well-schooled elites Over Here.
"Blue Tribe elites"
ReplyDeleteOur fabulous-but-confused host reflexively shoehorned in this narrative echo while ignoring the obvious: the whole performative gangbang was a prearranged ambush to humiliate yet another ally leader and to give praise, honor, and glory to Saint Putin.
By the way, that OAN doofus who was apparently the wardrobe coordinator for "the show" is Marjorie Taylor Green's current hump.
Somerby suggests that Fox hosts are going along with a prescribed party line. So was Marco Rubio. That is what Republicans have to do in support of Trump. Tell lies.
ReplyDeleteThis is nothing new, nothing surprising. Why does Somerby waste his time pointing this out, when he could be using his column to decry Trump's bad behavior, the way Bret Stephens has done today. Yes, even staunch Republicans can see clearly and abhor what Trump is doing by supporting Putin against Ukraine. That doesn't seem to bother Somerby as much as some Fox host reading a script does.
Somerby's priorities are messed up.
"We're inclined to think that the answer is no. That said, Blue America's elites refuse to report or comment on this behavior."
DeleteBy this, Somerby seems to be saying that Blue American elites should also be commenting on the behavior of certain Fox news hosts. That's absolutely ridiculous. Blue America is too busy commenting on Trump's behavior, Vance's behavior, Rubio's behavior, Lindsay Graham's behavior, and noticing the various Republican who are appalled by what Trump/Vance did to Zelensky, especially Lisa Murkowski, who seems to have the guts to oppose Trump in his very obvious stunt. This is an exercise in manufacturing a reason to give Ukraine to Putin. Of course Zelensky didn't roll his eyes. Of course he has shown gratitude many times. No one believes Trump said anything true. Somerby might have talked about Vance's craven behavior as Trump's designated attack dog, while Rubio lied about the whole meeting. Somerby prefers to aim his complaints at minor press lackeys at Fox. And then he says Blue America must do the same! Why?
Somerby has progressed from asshole to demented asshole. Is this misdirection intended to take the heat off Trump/Vance and their supporters? Deflection onto a minor Fox minion and away from the gross sell-out of American values to Putin, Russian dictator and enemy of the USA?
Someone needs to be saying that Trump and Vance are traitors. Blue America is stepping up and saying so. Somerby, not so much.
"Why does Somerby waste his time pointing this out,"
DeleteRead the rest of the comments for this post. Our Host's observations are news to many.
Somerby showed that a Fox host told a lie. People here don’t know that?
Delete5:29: Somerby did not use the rots “lie.” In fact, when people called Trump a liar, Somerby got upset.
DeleteTypo: 5:29: Somerby did not use the word “lie.” In fact, when people called Trump a liar, Somerby got upset.
DeleteJust because Doocy is stupid is no excuse for Bob being stupid. Personal conduct isn't why the meeting failed so disastrously.
ReplyDeleteThe ceremony was arranged for a signing of the rare earths deal, as a step toward peace, as Trump understood it. However, Zelensky used the meeting for drama - pointing out (accurately) how evil Putin is asking for more support. Although what Zelensky said was true, it was unrealistic. The US is never going to put American troops in Ukraine. Putin will continue to be evil and duplicitous. That's reality.
Zelensky doesn't need to apologize. He just needs to agree to the minerals deal that he already implied he would sign and then agree to a cease fire.
You have this backwards, David. As noted previously, no face-to-face meeting was needed to sign that deal. This meeting was arranged by Trump to humiliate Zelensky on Putin's behalf. Zelensky rightly and courageously defended himself and his country against false accusations arising out of thin air, manufactured in order to excuse Trump/Vance from backing away from previous support by the USA for Ukraine. The goal is to justify pulling arms and financial support to Ukraine.
DeleteZelensky would be wrong to sign a cease-fire agreement where he was not a participant, one that gives Russia whatever it wants (including chunks of Ukrainian soil). Note that this agreement included no guarantees of Ukrainian safety against Russian invasion. Zelensky is the leader of Ukraine and has both the right and the responsibility to make the best deals possible for his own people. Trump was bullying him into making a disadvantageous negotiation that favors Russia. That is what this is about. The minerals deal is cover for discussion of those larger issues. Zelensky is not playing along, and that is to his credit.
I am ashamed that Trump/Vance treated Zelensky so badly, but outraged that we have a president who support Russia against our traditional allies. Russia was wrong to invade Ukraine and that is why Trump should be supporting Ukraine, regardless of anyone's apparel or fictitious body language. Trump has placed us in the position of either support him as an ally of Putin, or supporting Ukraine (which stands for self-determination, independent autonomy and freedom from invasion by sovereign nations, a much higher principle). We shouldn't have to pick, but Trump's greed makes it necessary. I choose integrity and cannot wait for Trump to leave office permanently.
Trust you to get everything wrong about this situation.
The Felon and Vance were just following the orders of the two richest men in the world, PreXident MuXk and Supreme Leader Putin. They clearly have grabbed those two by their puXXies. Wake up and smell the borscht with your Vodka DiC.
DeleteDickhead in Cal feels cheated by Zelensky out of celebrating another masterful exhibition of Trump's art of the deal. Poor Dickhead. Why forcing Ukraine to sign over half their mineral to Trump is a necessary "step toward peace" goes unexplained.
DeleteApparently England and France are stepping into the breach. We will watch as a new nuclear arms race takes off because we are no longer a reliable ally.
Go fuck yourself, Dickhead.
What happened on Friday was a staged event coordinated with MTG’s boyfriend, a very low point in our history. Decent people know this, the EU, Canada and Mexico know this. Zelensky is well aware of Trump’s fraudulent history, that he is dishonest, didn’t pay vendors as a businessman, stole from a children’s charity, and couldn’t get a business loan in the US because he is a sack of shit businessman. Any brokered peace will need to involve honest participants, eg EU leadership.
DeleteDon't forget to mention that for some unknown fucking reason a reporter from TASS was given entry and live-steamed the entire goat fuck back to Moscow.
DeleteI agree with you, @2:19. Why forcing Ukraine to sign over half their mineral to Trump is a necessary "step toward peace" goes unexplained.
DeleteStill, Trump is working for the benefit of the American people. Getting money from Ukraine could help preserve more government programs.
Yeah, I did forget to mention it. He “snuck in” according to the White House. Fucking joke. Just part of the staged event, that part to play for Moscow propaganda. Very sad display of unAmerican activity within the White House.
Delete“ Trump is working for the benefit of the American people.”
DeleteWhat in the world makes you think this? It’s clearly untrue.
"Personal conduct isn't why the meeting failed so disastrously."
DeleteOur Host didn't invent these claims. They came directly from the White House.
That is Quaker's point.
Delete"Has Joey Jones sold his soul to the gods—to the people who sign his checks? In answer to that sensible question, we will only say this:"
ReplyDeleteIndirect, coy, without the "balls of any size" to say something directly about Joey Jones. Absolutely he has sold his soul for a paycheck. That is obvious. He works for Fox News. But why won't Somerby say so? What is wrong with Somerby that he never says what he means but instead hides behind random, wandering nonsense, much the way Trump does his own weave, and perhaps for the same reason -- both are senile assholes?
If Somerby cannot bring himself to say what Jones did, how can anyone expect him to call Trump an incompetent fool who has sold his soul to Putin? And if Somerby won't tell the truth himself, how can he call for anyone else to do so? So we get silly assholery when our nation desperately needs the truth and a full measure of courage against those pushing us into full-on dictatorship by breaking the spine of our government.
"Indirect, coy, without the "balls of any size" to say something directly about Joey Jones."
DeleteOh yeah, it takes such big big, balls for a blogger to criticize an obscure Fox News personality. Massive huevos.
Then why doesn't he do it without hiding behind his typical verbal subterfuge?
DeleteHe has a purposely indirect style. I guess you don't like it but there's no point in complaining about it.
DeleteIf you never complain, nothing ever changes.
DeleteHere is something important to write about and worry about:
ReplyDelete"Social Security has never missed a benefit payment since the program first began sending individuals monthly benefits more than eight decades ago. But the recent actions at the U.S. Social Security Administration by Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are putting monthly benefit checks for more than 72.5 million Americans at risk, former commissioner and former Maryland governor Martin O’Malley told CNBC.com.
“Ultimately, you’re going to see the system collapse and an interruption of benefits,” O’Malley said. “I believe you will see that within the next 30 to 90 days.”
Ahead of any interruption in benefits, “people should start saving now,” O’Malley said.
The Social Security Administration uses multiple systems and technologies that Elon Musk has criticized for leading to errors. As commissioner, O’Malley told Congress the agency needed more funding for IT modernization.
O’Malley said DOGE leaders are now making changes at the agency, and significant staff cuts have already led to system outages. Those intermittent IT outages may happen more frequently and for more extended periods of time until there is a “system collapse and an interruption of benefits,” he said."
Somerby may be one of the threatened beneficiaries. There are a lot of us. But this also affects those who are working age, who have been paying into the system. If it collapses, they will not get any of their previous payments back in the form of benefits in old age.
Republicans did this to us by electing Trump. I hold them all personally responsible. They can put the brakes on this by ceasing their support for Trump, who is letting Elon Musk run loose with that stoopid chainsaw, cutting red state jobs and Republican benefits, not just those of minorities and women. Fight for your own well-being, all you Red America idiots who put Trump in office!
Here's another thing. In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) fires back at Elon Musk, who called Social Security “the biggest Ponzi scheme of all time.”
DeleteBut SS IS essentially a Ponzi Scheme. Benefits are paid out of new money, not the money beneficiaries paid in.
DeleteNo, it's not a Ponzi scheme which is illegal.
DeleteThis was discussed a while back on this site and as usual, DiC didn’t learn. A Ponzi scheme is a financial construct set up to defraud investors. Right wing media and their rubes like DiC like to call SS a Ponzi scheme in order to discredit it. They know this and are liars. The financial problems it is going to encounter can be fixed without the citizens needing it being hurt financially.
DeleteElon Musk is either much stupider than his net worth would suggest or a craven liar. His history on social media points very convincingly to the latter.
DeleteAs an actuary, I call SS a Ponzi scheme in order to save it, not discredit it. Economics is real, regardless of what one wants to believe. SS will run out of money soon. The federal budget doesn't have extra cash. On the contrary, it's running at a big deficit. Denying the problem won't solve it. We need real solutions, not wishful thinking.
DeleteCalculate the social-security tax on all of income, not just the first $250,000.
DeleteFor the year 2024 the first $165k is subject to the payroll tax. It goes up a little every year.
DeleteThe problem is that because of rising inequality, less and less of total income is captured by the payroll tax.
**********
But since wage growth for top earners continues to outpace average wage growth, a growing share of total earnings is spilling over the cap and escaping taxation, eroding Social Security revenues.
Significant reforms to Social Security made in 1983 set the cap at a level so that 90% of all earnings would be subject to taxes. Over time, rising inequality meant that this share shrank as more earnings for higher-wage workers spilled over the cap. In 2020 and 2021, the share of earnings subject to Social Security taxes hit the lowest levels since before the 1983 reform. In fact, by 2021, the share of earnings subject to Social Security taxes was at the lowest level in nearly 50 years (since 1972).
***********
David knows all this. This has been debated countless times here. David is just a lying sack of shit.
I prefer the "donut hole" plan, where the tax is stopped at whatever the maximum is, then resumed once the earnings exceed a certain lever, say $400k.
Why it is necessary to LIE about SS being a Ponzi scheme in order to save it is unexplained by the Dickhead in Cal.
"We need real solutions, not wishful thinking."
DeleteAnother tax cut ought to fix it.
“Economics is real regardless of what one wants to believe.” That is rich coming from a member of a party that still believes in Reaganomics and the Laffer curve. You do not deserve to be taken seriously.
DeleteDavid, SS is not a Ponzi scheme because (1) there is no intent to defraud, (2) proceeds go to the beneficiaries not the folks running the system, (3) the operation is transparent not a giant lie, (4) people who pay into the system actually get their money back if they live past retirement age, (5) those who die at a young age have their money rolled over to benefit other retirees, not those operating the system. In most respects it operates the same as any other investment (not a fraud or Ponzi) and it is entirely transparent. The main fraud is on the part of rare and occasional beneficiaries, not those operating the system. The main harm is done to immigrants who pay into the system but cannot receive benefits.
DeleteIt is irritating when people who supposedly "know better" (such as David in Cal, who says he is an actuary) repeat lies such as "Ponzi scheme" and "going broke" in order to upset elderly people who they can then manipulate for votes (or whatever).
I retired in 2018 and have found that the system works reliably and well, paying me what I am owed every month on time and without fail. On that basis, I feel confident signing a lease and I am not consumed with worry about how I will pay for health care when I become older. That is a huge benefit (independent of the payments) because it relieves me and and my extended family of worry about what will happen to me as I age.
That is now destroyed by Musk and Trump. I didn't vote for either of them and I consider it a major crime that they are causing all of us retirees to feel fear about the future. We hope it will be unnecessary fear, but Trump and Musk inspire no confidence whatsoever, especially with the plane crashes and firing of air traffic controller, the firing of those working to stop bird flu from spreading, and the way they are messing up university-based research. I do not see why they fired so many people without cause or due process. I believe they will not hesitate to harm me should they get the opportunity. Trump is an evil man and Elon Musk is the same. I wonder how we have come to this, but I know every time I read Somerby. It was all those in Red America and the ineffectiveness of people like Somerby who claim to be working for the left while aiding the right. Just like Trump is blaming Zelensky when he himself is the traitor.
The defense budget is funded out of current tax receipts. Any reason Social Security shouldn’t be funded out of current tax receipts, too, if needed? Then we wouldn’t be having this ridiculous argument about SS going “broke.”
DeleteSomerby has been on a raging jihad against Fox News, and he has been questioning whether Trump is clinically disordered, for many months running now, but still the haters say he’s secretly right wing. They must get some psychic pleasure from their delusion.
DeleteNot secretly.
DeleteSomerby recently said of Gutfeld:
Delete“In fairness, some of this angry nutball's views are built on perfectly reasonable foundations. Some of this furious nutball's views strike us as flatly correct.”
Not exactly an undiluted jihad.
And, 5:35, Somerby continually urges that we pity Trump. He renders himself a buffoon this way.
DeleteUrging pity for someone suffering from a mental illness is “buffoonish”? Your heart is ice-cold.
DeleteIt is buffoonish when mental illness is the least of Trump’s danger to our nation.
Delete@4:56 You make some good points. But I disagree with “people who pay into the system actually get their money back if they live past retirement age.” In a few years SS won’t have enough money to pay the benefits in the Plan. And if we have a recession the financial disaster will come sooner.
DeleteA private insurance company annuity sets aside enough assets so that they can pay their promised benefits even if there’s a big drop in new entrants. SS doesn’t work that way. If fewer people start paying in, SS won’t have enough assets to pay the promised benefits.
Lying routinely and extorting an ally are acceptable in the world of Republican politics that DiC inhabits and feels most comfortable in.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm.
ReplyDelete“Hegseth Orders Pentagon to Stop Offensive Cyberoperations Against Russia”
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/us/politics/hegseth-cyber-russia-trump-putin.html
Wow. We can be targeted daily, though. What say to that, DiC ? Do you have an explanation for this that does not involve Trump licking Putin's boots? And of course his toady running the DoD. Traitors.
DeleteThe subhead of the article says
Delete"The defense secretary’s instructions, which were given before President Trump’s blowup with the Ukrainian president, are apparently part of an effort to draw Russia into talks on the war."
Oh I see, we are negotiating away our cyber capabilities in an asymmetric way to Russia’s advantage against us in order to appease Putin into engaging in a peace treaty with a country he invaded. Talk about a submissive posture. Pathetic. We are supposed to be negotiating a treaty, not giving any of our own ground to Putin. Do you not get that? Amateur hour.
DeleteDid it say that Russia was stopping cyber operations against the US? If not, why would anyone in this administration cede any such ground to the Russians? What a fucking joke. Of course they are the same people that allowed Tass into the Oval Office to livestream the staged event with Zelensky. These are actors in the service of Putin, not the free world, and certainly not the US.
DeleteDavid says: As an actuary, I call SS a Ponzi scheme in order to save it, not discredit it.
DeleteYou probably shouldn't be an actuary then. It's not a Ponzi scheme for the most obvious of reasons.
Ilya -- see my comment at 11:39
DeleteWe don’t need your reasons for calling it a Ponzi scheme. You are being told that your use of the term is incorrect. Since you repeatedly use the term incorrectly despite being told so you are a contributor here who is not acting in good faith. You do this in a Joe Rogan like posture to discredit SS when in fact your resistance to the truth discredits you.
DeleteRight wingers lie about everything and don’t bother making their lies plausible. Now they are saying that Biden’s economy was bad but it was covered up.
ReplyDeleteI am so tired of these creeps.
At this point, who can trust official government figures coming out of the various departments? Lying is now part of official GOP policy. I assume they will start making up positive economic numbers.
ReplyDeleteIt will always be someone else’s fault.
DeleteTrump is right about Ukraine.
ReplyDeleteDemocrats in the US will find this out the easy way or the hard way.
The war is hard for everybody. Many soldiers of the Russian Federation have died.
DeleteMike Johnson is suggesting that Zelensky step down in order for Trump to barter a peace agreement that would naturally favor Putin. Last time I checked, Ukraine is a sovereign nation and will not be adherent to trash like Mike Johnson’s suggestions. Members of the EU will be more involved in the negotiations now that Trump has shown himself to be a bad actor , working for the benefit of the invading dictator.
Delete