I was at the White House Correspondence Association Dinner this weekend. As you can probably imagine, it is a fairly ridiculous affair, with celebrities, political celebrities, hangers on and one massive ballroom jammed so tight with tables that you literally have a hard time backing your seat out even to stand up. Doctors advise applying a thick layer of irony before going in to make it out with your dignity intact.
But this time I did have a peak experience.
Rand Paul jokes about Baltimore protests and riots. “I came through the train on Baltimore (sic) last night, I’m glad the train didn’t stop,” he said, laughing, during an interview with conservative radio host Laura Ingraham.
TPM’s Managing Editor, David Kurtz, is in attendance for today’s oral arguments at the Supreme Court in what is likely to be the decisive case for marriage equality nationwide – and perhaps by extension LGBT equality writ large.
At 4 PM EDT, he’ll be in The Hive (sub req) taking your questions on the proceedings.
For all my many criticisms of him during his presidency, I have come to respect President Bush’s post-presidency. He’s kept out of the toxic political battles that came after he left office. He’s had the confidence or perhaps simply the realism and detachment to leave it to posterity to judge his presidency and not try to duke it out in the 24/7 press cycle like his toxic second Dick Cheney. And there are moments of grace, like the recent 50th anniversary commemoration of the the March on Selma. DC’s Republican leadership stayed away. But Bush was there. One might argue that there was little to be gained by Republicans attending since, in the nature of things, it was not going to be a receptive audience and they would be upstaged infinitely by the iconic symbolism of an African-American President. But the same applies to Bush. And he was there.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake: “I understand anger, but what we’re seeing isn’t anger. It’s disruption of a community. The same community they say they care about, they’re destroying. You can’t have it both ways.”
Mother sees son on TV participating in riot action in Baltimore, heads to scene to slap him around. Video after the jump …
Images from looting and riots breaking out tonight in Baltimore, after the jump …
(Ed.Note: There appears to have been more than one fire in Baltimore this afternoon and evening. The largest is at a senior center that was under construction. But there are conflicting reports about whether the fire was connected to the rioting and protests.]
Baltimore erupts into rioting, looting and fire. Governor declares curfew and state of emergency. Here’s the latest.