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

[BeastieRunner]

Just read an article about hwo Manafort approached John McCain in 2007-2008 and made the pitch to run the RNC that year for him, felt like it was his destiny to do so.

McCain told him to pound sand, knowing he was dirty with the Ivans in Ukraine, and didn't want their hooks into the Republican Party under his watch.

8 years later, someone stupid enough to let 'em came along...

Let's see:

* Reagan fired Manafort once he found out about lobbying in Saudi Arabia as well as for Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos;
* HW Bush hired him and lost his re-election campaign, HW went on record to say Manafort wrote the bizarre speeches he has apologized for;
* Dole fired Manafort (lobbying for Zaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and Angolan guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi) & Stone (for advertising in a paper for "strong men" to have sex with his wife while he watched);
* W told him to hit the bricks after Cheney said he should hire him, W cited the campaign that lost his dad the Presidency as well as showing him that he was fired for lobbying for dictators multiple times;
* Romney was uncomfortable with Manafort's lobbying past and told him no and Mitt suggested Manafort was an ethics nightmare waiting to happen;
* McCain refused to even entertain him as a staffer due to Manafort's lobbying in Ukraine for Viktor Yanukovych and his well-known Russian ties (since McCain was on the SIC, he knew about them).

After all that ... Trump is the one that says yes? And doesn't expect some sort of fallout? Oi ...

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Let's see:

* Reagan fired Manafort once he found out about lobbying in Saudi Arabia as well as for Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos;
* HW Bush hired him and lost his re-election campaign, HW went on record to say Manafort wrote the bizarre speeches he has apologized for;
* Dole fired Manafort (lobbying for Zaire dictator Mobutu Sese Seko and Angolan guerrilla leader Jonas Savimbi) & Stone (for advertising in a paper for "strong men" to have sex with his wife while he watched);
* W told him to hit the bricks after Cheney said he should hire him, W cited the campaign that lost his dad the Presidency as well as showing him that he was fired for lobbying for dictators multiple times;
* Romney was uncomfortable with Manafort's lobbying past and told him no and Mitt suggested Manafort was an ethics nightmare waiting to happen;
* McCain refused to even entertain him as a staffer due to Manafort's lobbying in Ukraine for Viktor Yanukovych and his well-known Russian ties (since McCain was on the SIC, he knew about them).

After all that ... Trump is the one that says yes? And doesn't expect some sort of fallout? Oi ...

Scumbags love being surrounded by scumbags. That’s my rationale for Caramel Caligula having brought Manafort onboard.

[BeastieRunner]

Scumbags love being surrounded by scumbags. That’s my rationale for Caramel Caligula having brought Manafort onboard.

I guess their shared love for autocratic assholes made them come together.

[Tami]

I think Lindsey Graham wants Sessions gone. I think he doens't like what Sessions is doing in the DOJ, but he's trying to shift it to Trump. Claming that it is aq "Breach' between Trump and Sessions.

Not sure if he's qualified but if he is, I wouldn't be surprised if Graham wants Sessions AG job.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I think Lindsey Graham wants Sessions gone. I think he doens't like what Sessions is doing in the DOJ, but he's trying to shift it to Trump. Claming that it is aq "Breach' between Trump and Sessions.

Not sure if he's qualified but if he is, I wouldn't be surprised if Graham wants Sessions AG job.

Well, there had always been a breach after Sessions had the nerve to follow the rule of law and recuse himself from the investigation of Donnie Kompromat.

[Tami]

Well, there had always been a breach after Sessions had the nerve to follow the rule of law and recuse himself from the investigation of Donnie Kompromat.

But there was a time when Graham supported Sessions, now he is against him. Nothing has changed between Sessions and Trump, so the change might be coming from Graham. .

[Gray Lensman]

But there was a time when Graham supported Sessions, now he is against him. Nothing has changed between Sessions and Trump, so the change might be coming from Graham. .

Perhaps. But one change with Trump is that the consequences of Sessions recusal are getting closer to Donnie. The rhetoric really ramped up into overdrive following the Cohen plea and Manafort conviction.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Perhaps. But one change with Trump is that the consequences of Sessions recusal are getting closer to Donnie. The rhetoric really ramped up into overdrive following the Cohen plea and Manafort conviction.

Which says to me Trump KNEW going in he had an army of skeletons in his closet thanks to all those shady, pre-election shenanigans by he and his henchmen. And now said skeletons are about to do a conga line into the light of day.

[Kevinroc]

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...illum-governor

In a stunning upset, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum will be the Florida Democratic Nominee for Governor.

[numberthirty]

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...illum-governor

In a stunning upset, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum will be the Florida Democratic Nominee for Governor.

It's an upset.

The only polling that really matters is the polling on an election day.

[Mister Mets]

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...illum-governor

In a stunning upset, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum will be the Florida Democratic Nominee for Governor.

This is premature, but if we can't speculate in a politics thread, where can we? If he can win the General Election (currently seen as a toss-up) Gillum is on paper a strong running mate for many of the potential Democratic candidates.

Biden would get a swing state rising star with executive experience who has ties to the Sanders wing.
Sanders would get a swing state rising star with executive experience who would appeal to the African-American voters who aren't as enthusiastic about him as they were for Obama or Hillary.
Gilibrand and Warren add someone from a major swing state who has worked in the trenches as an executive.

[Tendrin]

This is premature, but if we can't speculate in a politics thread, where can we? If he can win the General Election (currently seen as a toss-up) Gillum is on paper a strong running mate for many of the potential Democratic candidates.

Biden would get a swing state rising star with executive experience who has ties to the Sanders wing.
Sanders would get a swing state rising star with executive experience who would appeal to the African-American voters who aren't as enthusiastic about him as they were for Obama or Hillary.
Gilibrand and Warren add someone from a major swing state who has worked in the trenches as an executive.

Let's not forget that even if Beto doesn't beat Cruz (and I hope he will), he's shown that he's also a rising star.

And if he beats Cruz, well... who knows? Maybe a Beto/Gillum ticket (or vice versa!) could be the thing.

[numberthirty]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.276687d4a1cf

Mike Cernovich, who you might remember as the alt-right scumbag who led the campaign to get James Gunn fired from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, is campaigning with Kalli Ward.

Thanks for raising this scumbag's profile, Disney.

(Also, Thirty and I have had a disagreement about this in the Gunn thread. That supporting Gunn's firing is a tacit endorsement of Cernovich.)

In a less than shocking development, this guy was about was six gems and a gauntlet short.

[PaulBullion]

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-polit...illum-governor

In a stunning upset, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum will be the Florida Democratic Nominee for Governor.

Awesome. He ran as a MomsDemand Gun Sense candidate.

[Carabas]

Which says to me Trump KNEW going in he had an army of skeletons in his closet thanks to all those shady, pre-election shenanigans by he and his henchmen. And now said skeletons are about to do a conga line into the light of day.

I think that's just standard operating procedures for him. It's just that he normally gets to cash in his chips and/or declare bankruptcy when or just before people start to be interested in his closet.