All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!(Part II)

[aja_christopher]

Meanwhile.

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"Graham blocks resolution calling for Mueller report to be made public"

"Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) on Thursday blocked a resolution calling for special counsel Robert Mueller's report to be made public after it passed the House unanimously.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked for unanimous consent for the nonbinding resolution, which cleared the House 420-0, to be passed by the Senate before they leave town for a weeklong recess.

"There is no good reason, no good reason that the special counsel's report should not be made public. The American people are overwhelmingly for the report being made public. They have a right to see it. No one should stand in the way of that," Schumer said from the Senate floor.

But Graham, a close ally of Trump's who chairs the Judiciary Committee, objected after Schumer refused to amend the House-passed resolution to include a provision calling on the Justice Department (DOJ) to appoint a special counsel to investigate DOJ misconduct in the handling of the investigation into 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton's email use and the Carter Page Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act applications.

Graham stressed that he supported Mueller's probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and predicted that it would wrap up shortly. But he added that he had been "trying to find balance" by also supporting an investigation into Clinton-related scandals.

"Was there two systems of justice in 2016? One for the Democratic candidate and one for the Republican candidate?" Graham asked.

Under Senate rules, any one senator can try to pass or set up a vote on a bill, resolution or nomination. But, in turn, any one senator can block their request.

Schumer fired back that Graham appeared to be using a "pretext" for trying to block the Mueller resolution.

"I have absolutely no idea why a member of this body would object to this basic level of transparency whatever their concern or other issues," he said."

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/...be-made-public

[Tazirai]

Trump suggests that it could get 'very bad' if military, police, biker supporters play 'tough'

“You know, the left plays a tougher game, it’s very funny," Trump said in the interview with Breitbart published on Wednesday. "I actually think that the people on the right are tougher, but they don’t play it tougher."

"I can tell you I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of the Bikers for Trump – I have the tough people, but they don’t play it tough — until they go to a certain point, and then it would be very bad, very bad," Trump said.

"But the left plays it cuter and tougher. Like with all the nonsense that they do in Congress ... with all this invest[igations] — that’s all they want to do is — you know, they do things that are nasty. Republicans never played this.”

[4saken1]

Oh and for the record, blaming Bernie supporters for the divide when there was a massive #NeverBernie tirade by disgruntled Clinton supporters is a joke.

You're absolutely right. There are individuals on both side who are fanning the flames (myself included, on occasion). Unfortunately, if Bernie wins the nomination, millions of Clinton supporters will be able to cast a spiteful vote for Trump because Sanders supporters said they weren't to blame for their own actions in not voting for Hillary. The prevailing attitude will be: "Oh well, if it's not their fault that the Democrats put up a candidate that I didn't like in 2016, then it's not mine for doing the same in 2020!"

[InformationGeek]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/111...tchurch-mosque

gunmen reportedly opened fire at two mosques and the main hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand.


I don't know about NZ laws but are guns banned or not in New Zealand?

Just heard about it from a YouTuber with his wife and children that live about twenty minutes away from the scene. I can't imagine what is going on there now. Has anything like this EVER happened in New Zealand?

[Tendrin]

I don't know about NZ laws but are guns banned or not in New Zealand?

Not banned. Like in many parts of the world, it is possible to own a gun, but it requires a license. From wikipedia:

Nearly 250,000 [1] licensed firearms owners own and use New Zealand's estimated 1.5 million [1] firearms.[2] As in Australia, but unlike the US and Canada, gun laws usually gain the support of both major parties before they are passed. Guns are not currently a major political issue, but have been immediately after the Aramoana massacre in 1990, and the Scottish Dunblane and Australian Port Arthur massacres in 1996.
Gun licenses are issued at the discretion of the police in New Zealand provided the police consider the person to be of good standing[citation needed] and without criminal, psychiatric or drug issues as well as meeting other conditions such as having suitable storage facilities. To be issued, they must be issued for a valid reason[citation needed], which may not include self defense[citation needed], although the law does not support this restriction for ownership for self defense[citation needed]. Several different categories of licenses are permitted, with the lowest one permitting access to restricted semi-automatic rifles and shotguns, with limited capacity, while the higher levels which permit fully automatic weaponry and pistols are rarely issued to civilians

Unlike the US, they have had exactly one major shooting incident in the last twenty years.

[InformationGeek]

Not banned. Like in many parts of the world, it is possible to own a gun, but it requires a license. From wikipedia:



Unlike the US, they have had exactly one major shooting incident in the last twenty years.

And for context, as one outlet puts it:

This is the worst terrorist incident in NZ's history since the NZ Wars and the sacking of Parihaka.

Those events? Those happens back in the 1800s.

[Kirby101]

I couldn't care less about President Trump's promise to build a wall, but I respect his stubborn pledge to keep his promises unlike his predecessor. I also respect him for being honest on the illegal immigration instead of politically correct.

Well, I am no longer confused since you think Trump has been honest about undocumented immigrants.
That you think Trump is more honest than Obama says it all.

[Tami]

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/111...tchurch-mosque

gunmen reportedly opened fire at two mosques and the main hospital in Christchurch, New Zealand.


I don't know about NZ laws but are guns banned or not in New Zealand?

Christchurch shooting: police search for gunman after mass shooting at mosque – live updates

I'm guessing the shooter got his/her/their hands on the weapons illegally. Stole them or something.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Well, I am no longer confused since you think Trump has been honest about undocumented immigrants.
That you think Trump is more honest than Obama says it all.

I still remember the "Contract with the American People" trump had on his website that was quickly taken down after he won the electoral college. I guess he knew he couldn't keep those promises.

[PwrdOn]

Well, I am no longer confused since you think Trump has been honest about undocumented immigrants.
That you think Trump is more honest than Obama says it all.

Well I think it's an improvement that Republicans are now at least saying what they really feel instead of trying to couch it in weasel words. For the longest time, they would always go on about how it wasn't all immigration that they were opposed to but just illegal immigration, and that they would welcome everyone who came in legally, but now they aren't shy about stating their opposition to legal immigration as well, and openly rationalizing it on racist terms. This might be difficult to endure for the time being, but in the long run they're just stripping away that veneer of gentility and respectability from the conservative movement and exposing the ugly truth underneath, and once they've done that there's no getting that legitimacy back.

[Tendrin]

The Christchurch shooter's manifestio contains references to Candace Owens, apparently, and his livestream of the shooting apparently, according to reports I've seen on twitter, contains him shouting 'Subscribe to Pewdiepie'.

Another mass murderer incubated in the right-wing internet.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

A Suspect In New Zealand Mass Shootings Appears To Be A White Supremacist

In a manifesto, the alleged gunman said he was motivated by American extremism. Yeah, the sort of extremism Trump and the GOP have lovingly embraced. Speaking of extremism....

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Trump Raises Specter Of Supporters Turning Violent If They Don’t Get Their Way

“I have the support of the police, the support of the military, the support of Bikers for Trump,” the president warns. If Obama even HINTED at endorsing violence from his supporters, right wingers and conservatives would scream bloody murder 24/7. Any outrage from Republicans about what Trump said? What do you think?

**********

A Dozen Republicans Rebuke Trump Over His Emergency Declaration

The GOP senators voted against their president, setting up the first veto of his presidency. The hypocrisy, as explained by one of the dissenters, PA Senator Pat Toomey is that they don't care that Trump is shitting on the Constitution by going around Congress to get his way, but rather they fear a future Democratic president would do the exact same thing. Case in point: Elizabeth Warren recently vowed that if elected president, she'd declare a national emergency on climate change, I'm sure other Democratic candidates would do likewise on matters such as gun violence or the healthcare crisis, stuff the GOP downright refuses to discuss.

**********

Lindsey Graham: Investigate Clinton’s Emails Before Releasing Mueller Report

The South Carolina senator doesn’t want the special counsel’s report on Russian campaign interference made public until Hillary Clinton’s emails are probed again. Well, at least Grouchy Graham is consistent.

**********

Ireland’s Prime Minister Shows Up With His Boyfriend At Mike Pence’s House

The vice president of the United States invited Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar to bring his partner, Dr. Matt Barrett. To quote George Takei, "Oh, myyyyyyyy!" Given Red Grant's history of homophobia, the irony regarding that meet and greet was delicious!

[zinderel]

How many investigations into Hillary's emails does that make? 30? 40? 30,000? THAT is a goddamned witch hunt, and they've never found one witch.

Unlike the investigation into the Tangerine Tyrant's corruption, which has found, I THINK, close to the same number of 'witches' as there have been pointless wastes of taxpayer money that Republicans called an investigation into Hillary's emails and Benghazi...

[Iron Maiden]

Even if they do find investigate again, what could Hillary be charged with? Mishandling emails? It was never proved that her server was hacked. Trump uses an unsecured phone all the time and has had private conversations with Putin with no other official around to report on what they talked about. Why doesn't Graham want to investigate that?

[jetengine]

Iirc the Mueler report hasn't even reached half of what the Butterymale sham cost whilst have 100% more results.