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

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Right-wing blowhards are having a tough time with this whole women-in-power thing in Congress

Just over a year ago, a writer named Kristen Roupenian published a short story in the New Yorker called “Cat Person.” It chronicled a brief, mediocre romance. At first, it was hard to say what made the story newsworthy.

Still, just as #MeToo was taking off, “Cat Person” became history’s first viral short story. Something in Roupenian’s tale of Robert and Margot’s relationship — testy, opportunistic — felt familiar. And then there was the word mild Robert uses at their breakup, when he finally believes he has nothing left to lose: “Whore.”

“Cat Person” laid out the ways men can pretend to tolerance of and even affection for women while also seething with sexist resentment of their power.

The “Cat Person” parable is germane this week. As the new Congress convenes, with a record 102 women taking office, a crew of men in right-wing media and politics seems to believe they’ve tolerated this whole women-in-power exercise for too long.

They’ve been patient. They’ve been gallant. They praised Ivanka Trump’s grace. They hat-tipped Sen. Susan Collins for helping put brother Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. They sat for the #MeToo tedium.

But now, like Robert, they’ve had enough.

On Thursday night, shortly after being sworn in, freshman Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) boasted that the new Democratic House majority would “go in there and impeach” Trump, whom she called by a commonplace vulgarism beloved of Norman Mailer and Samuel L. Jackson. She landed the line to perfection, and her supporters loved it.

Understandably anxious about impeachment, Republicans decried Tlaib. They pretended not to mind her political zeal, though; it was her coarseness they took umbrage at. For a woman of color, and one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, using a bad word is evidently criminal unseemliness. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, from Bakersfield, huffed and puffed about how indecorous Tlaib had been and was essentially laughed off the dais by people reminding him of Trump’s long record of barnyarding it up.

As of this writing, Tlaib has not apologized for her impeachment plan — or her vocabulary.

[Tendrin]

And another thing. Warren's claim of Native American ancestry is a "Major Scandal". Even though she never really benefited from it.
But this doesn't seem to bother folks.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s family benefited from U.S. program for minorities based on disputed ancestry

IOKIYAR, you know?

[worstblogever]

And another thing. Warren's claim of Native American ancestry is a "Major Scandal". Even though she never really benefited from it.

And she has scientific data to show her that what she was taught as a child about her ancestry isn't made up from whole cloth.

But this fits into the GOP's followers being brainwashed into ignoring evidence.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" ran a profile of Dave Daubenmire, a former candidate for U.S. Congress in 2010 for Ohio’s 18th Congressional District who’s also a rabidly homophobic former high school football coach who was fired after repeatedly coercing players to participate in prayers and lost a lawsuit filed by the ACLU by several students and their families back in 2004. Daubenmire falsely claims he won that lawsuit as one of many instances where he bears false witness, despite of the fact that his self-righteousness motivated him to found “Pass the Salt” Ministries. Among the many, many patently deranged things Daubenmire has said through the years are that he wasn’t content to run for office, but wanted to “lead a revolution against those who oppose his ideals”, claiming that the hunt for the Tsarnaev brothers in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing was the government “doing a dry run to see how martial law would work”, that Chemtrails are a thing and are chemical weapons sprayed on the populace to cause cancer and autism, and that President Obama is “either mentally ill or demonically possessed” and that all Democrats are “Children of Lucifer”. While you probably find all those statements enough to merit him certifiably insane, again, this guy’s a grade A bigot towards the LGBTQ community, having said that LGBTQ adults are “better off dead” and “homosexuals are gobbling up our kids”, declared “the most dangerous lifestyle in America today is homosexual behavior”, that Hillary Clinton “screams lesbian”, longs for the good old days “when being gay was a mental illness”, and has whined about how he’s tired of being “sodomized by the left”, and that gays have “stolen his manhood”.The less said about the bottomless pit of intolerance that is Dave Daubenmire, the better.

In both 2016, and in 2017, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” published profiles of Rick Morris, a three-term member of the Virginia House of Delegates who was a big supporter of the anti-abortion fanaticism of former Gov. Bob McDonnell and former Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, such as Virginia’s mandatory ultrasound bill, but also a Personhood bill that would have claimed life starts at conception. He cares so much about the human right to life that he also voted for legislation return the electric chair to a list of acceptable means to execute prisoners. He's also voted against not just gay marriage, but even adoptions by LGBT couples. In 2017 because Morris took to the floor of the Virgina State Legislature to compare abortion to slavery... and it seems that Rick Morris was arrested in September of 2016 on 11 separate charges of domestic abuse and child abuse, after he decided to go medieval on his 11 year old stepson with a belt, and trying to force him to stand in a corner for... oh, three days at a clip. Morris refused to resign, but at least had the sense to not run for re-election in the 2017 Virginia elections.

On this date in 2018, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled the former U.S. House Representative from Pennsylvania’s 7th Congressional District, Patrick Meehan, who you might not have realized was a Congressman since he was elected in the Tea Party Wave of 2010, and you might not have heard about how his district as gerrymandered by Republicans to guarantee his re-election several times. People may not have paid much mind to his voting record, which was an His voting record was an embarrassment of conservative ideology, but again, other than votes against women’s issues and an obsession with repealing the Affordable Care Act, there was nothing in there to make Meehan stand out from his Tea Party brethren. That held, at least, until reports surfaced that Meehan harassed a woman about four decades his junior because he thought she was his “soul mate”, and then after she won her case against him, he used taxpayer money to settle the case and tried to keep the whole thing hushed up. Meehan actually tried blaming his predatory behavior on the stress he was enduring because the Affordable Care Act continued to exist (really, he said that). Alas, he is now out of office in disgrace, and thus we will set aside his profile at this time, and go ahead and take a look at a different wacky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 730-30, since this was established in July 2014.)

Keith Wheeler
Welcome to the 730th original “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profile, where today we’ll be discussing Keith Wheeler, a member of the Illinois House of Representatives first elected in 2014 and is now serving in his third term in office. Wheeler first got on our radar back in 2016, when he co-sponsored legislation in Illinois that was designed to throw single mothers and their children off of government assistance if the child’s birth certificate did not have a father listed, which opponents pounced on for its misogyny at targeting single mothers, but also noting that there are a lot of reasons a mother might personally not want a biological father listed on a birth certificate, like if they were the victim of rape, incest, or sexual assault. When confronted over his sexist bill, Wheeler responded to the media by running and hiding, refusing any comment on why he felt his “small government” solution was necessary.

When we take a wider look at Wheeler’s voting record, we’re far from reassured that he has the people’s best interests at heart:

• May 19th, 2015: Wheeler votes against HB 217, a ban on gay conversion therapy on minors, in spite of it being considered a human rights violation by many international humanitarian groups.
• April 21st, 2016: Keith Wheeler votes against HB 5576, a bill which would have guaranteed that insurance companies would have to cover birth control on their insurance plans.
• May 30th, 2017: Wheeler votes against SB 81, an attempt by Illinois Democrats to raise the state’s minimum wage.
• October 26th, 2017: In the wake of the Las Vegas massacre, Keith Wheeler still votes against HB 4117, an attempt to ban the possession of bump stocks in the state.
• February 28th, 2018: Wheeler votes against HB 1465, an attempt on raising the age limit on people who can purchase assault weapons to 21, in the wake of several mass shootings carried out in schools around the country.
• May 30th, 2018: Wheeler votes against SJRCA 4, refusing to support the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment in Illinois.

Keith Wheeler has rapidly risen to be the Assistant GOP House Floor Leader in Illinois, and we’re going to continue to keep an eye on him as a legislator, to see if he gets bold enough to push for any deliberately malicious legislation aimed at attacking women again any time soon.

[mogwen]

And she has scientific data to show her that what she was taught as a child about her ancestry isn't made up from whole cloth.

But this fits into the GOP's followers being brainwashed into ignoring evidence.

Exactly, I'm french and I don't know much Elisabeth Warren except that she's a democrat and that Trump mocks her as Pocahontas. But her story is really moving: a woman confronting the family story she's been told to tell the truth from fiction.
Is it a parabole about Fake News and the need to check sources?

[ZombieHavoc]

Whoops nevermind.

Bummer about America.

[ZombieHavoc]

Whoops nevermind.

[ZombieHavoc]

We've been splitting at the seams since the Vietnam War or before, with no way of ever going back, and now it's weird that a billionaire trust fund TV show host guy is gonna essentially end the American Empire for good.

I guess I've used up the internet for the day.

[Tazirai]

Rep-omars-latest-tweets-expose-thin-line-between-criticizing-israel-being-labeled-anti-semitic


No, Ilhan Omar Is Not Anti-Semitic For Calling Out AIPAC

Who knew that he whose name must not be spoken was Benjamin? Apparently not Representative Ilhan Omar, the brave Muslim congresswoman from Minnesota who stated an inconvenient truth when she wrote, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” over reports she was to be “punished” for her criticisms of Israel that include support of BDS.
Read more: https://forward.com/opinion/419117/n...ing-out-aipac/

Jewish House Democrats urge Nancy Pelosi to denounce Ilhan Omar for ‘hateful tropes’ in tweets
"As Jewish Members of Congress, we are deeply alarmed by recent rhetoric from certain members within our Caucus."

Two Jewish House Democrats, alarmed by what they view as anti-Semitic comments from new Muslim colleagues, are urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her top lieutenants to denounce the divisive rhetoric and take action to stop it.

Reps. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey and Elaine Luria of Virginia are gathering signatures on a letter asking Pelosi (Calif.), House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (Md.) and other senior Democrats to confront freshman Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan by “reiterating our rejection of anti-Semitism and our continued support for the State of Israel.”

“As Jewish Members of Congress, we are deeply alarmed by recent rhetoric from certain members within our Caucus, including just last night, that has disparaged us and called into question our loyalty to our nation,” the letter reads, according to a draft viewed by The Washington Post. “We urge you to join us in calling on each member of our Caucus to unite against anti-Semitism and hateful tropes and stereotypes.”

While the letter does not name Omar and Tlaib, its intention couldn’t be clearer. In fact, Jewish lawmakers in recent weeks have huddled privately to discuss what they should do about their new colleagues, who openly criticize Israel and have made insensitive comments about Jews and Jewish Americans.

The last straw came Sunday night, when Omar suggested in a tweet that House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) only supported Israel for campaign donations.

“It’s all about the Benjamins baby,” she wrote, an apparent reference to the 1997 Puff Daddy single featuring the Notorious B.I.G., Lil’ Kim and The Lox.

Pelosi, top Dems condemn Rep. Ilhan Omar over ‘anti-Semitic’ tweets

“Anti-Semitism must be called out, confronted and condemned whenever it is encountered, without exception,” read a statement signed by the speaker and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Luján, caucus chair Hakeem Jeffries and caucus vice chair Katherine Clark.
“Congresswoman Omar’s use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial accusations about Israel’s supporters is deeply offensive. We condemn these remarks and we call upon Congresswoman Omar to immediately apologize for these hurtful comments,” the statement read.

“As Democrats and as Americans, the entire Congress must be fully engaged in denouncing and rejecting all forms of hatred, racism, prejudice and discrimination wherever they are encountered.”

The statement did not say whether Omar would be disciplined or lose committee assignments.

Nancy Pelosi faces backlash for placing Ilhan Omar on House Foreign Affairs Committee
Minnesota Democrat criticized for anti-Israel statements, BDS support

“It is disgraceful that Speaker Pelosi and her Democrat majority gave a coveted seat on the House Foreign Relations Committee to a member who has a documented history of making anti-Semitic and anti-Israel remarks,” House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said in a Thursday statement.

“Rather than standing up against the disturbing rise of anti-Semitic rhetoric on the left, House Democrats have now just endorsed that ideology,” he said.

House Republican Conference chair Liz Cheney called on Democrats to “correct this immediately,” while former White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Friday that Mrs. Pelosi should “reverse herself.”

“Nancy Pelosi should ask Congresswoman Omar to step down,

Nancy Pelosi Keeps Testing The Left — And The Left Keeps Taking It
Liberals keep playing nice even when Pelosi doesn’t.

[Tazirai]

Ilhan Omar under attack for telling truth about Israel lobby

Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is under fierce attack from Chelsea Clinton and other Republican and Democratic establishment figures for voicing a fundamental truth: much of Congress is muzzled when it comes to Israel by the powerful lobby group AIPAC.

On Sunday, journalist Glenn Greenwald highlighted a news story about how Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy wants to punish Omar, and fellow Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, for their criticisms of Israel.

In a perverse move, McCarthy tried to equate the two women’s support for Palestinian rights with notorious Republican Congressman Steve King’s white supremacism.

“It’s stunning how much time US political leaders spend defending a foreign nation even if it means attacking free speech rights of Americans,” Greenwald tweeted.

Omar then retweeted Greenwald, adding the comment, “It’s all about the Benjamins baby” – a slang term for $100 bills.

https://twitter.com/OmanReagan/statu...15774751899648

[ZombieHavoc]

That Pelosi Clapping picture never gets old.

[Tazirai]

[Tazirai]

[Tazirai]

[Tazirai]