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

[Tami]

Checking in to give y'all an update:

House made it through fine aside from some shingles getting blown off the roof. I think the wind gusts that hit here were stated to be over 100 MPH and judging from watching 20+ foot tall pecan trees almost literally touching the ground, I'd say that's pretty accurate.

Power has been out since around 2:30 yesterday and the power company has said that the damage was much worse than they thought it'd be, but they said we maybe could get power back tonight which would be an absolute godsend considering how hot it was today.

Drove through the city a bit and the amount of trees that were down was staggering. It's gonna take a minute to recover from this one.

Gotta charge my phone in my truck again, so later for now.

Thank goodness you're okay. Good luck with the recovery.

[ed2962]

Are Taylor Swift albums going to be burned and Kanye's bought now by the trump circle?

The whole thing is ridiculous. Trump is so desperate to prove "a black" likes him he invites this idiot to the WH.

Honestly I wish media would ignore it.

Well, there's no way they would ignore it. He's the president so they are going to cover most of what he does regardless. And when the meeting is with an internationally know pop star who's off meds and frequently spews controversial remarks, how can they not cover it.

I don't think Trump is desperate to show that a black person likes him for the sake of his image, I think it's as simple he likes hearing someone kiss his ass for minutes on end.

Having said all that, it seems people forgot that Jim Brown was there as well.

[numberthirty]

When Rachel Maddow kicks off a show by pointing out that Senate Democrats just knuckled under and it's no biggie because it doesn't come as much of a shock?

That's a sad state of affairs.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Checking in to give y'all an update:

House made it through fine aside from some shingles getting blown off the roof. I think the wind gusts that hit here were stated to be over 100 MPH and judging from watching 20+ foot tall pecan trees almost literally touching the ground, I'd say that's pretty accurate.

Power has been out since around 2:30 yesterday and the power company has said that the damage was much worse than they thought it'd be, but they said we maybe could get power back tonight which would be an absolute godsend considering how hot it was today.

Drove through the city a bit and the amount of trees that were down was staggering. It's gonna take a minute to recover from this one.

Gotta charge my phone in my truck again, so later for now.

Glad to hear you made it through okay. Stay safe and good luck with the recovery.

[aja_christopher]

When Rachel Maddow kicks off a show by pointing out that Senate Democrats just knuckled under and it's no biggie because it doesn't come as much of a shock?

That's a sad state of affairs.

What's an even sadder state of affairs is knowing that "Democrats" -- Senate or otherwise -- don't have the numbers to do anything to stop the Republicans at this point because many Americans would rather sit around complaining than voting "against" Republicans like Trump and McConnell.

Looking forward to the day when voters (such as yourself) take some responsibility for the situation that we as Americans find ourselves in -- as bad as the racists, sexists, and homophobes on the "right" are at least they have enough sense to vote to change the things they are complaining about.

Until that happens, I'm sure you'll find even more to complain about in the coming years: from my perspective, it's a sad state -- and stupid -- of affairs when climate change is less important to many American voters than "emails" but I'm not going to sit around wasting time blaming "Democrats" for the relative ignorance of the voting public.

[numberthirty]

Let's say, just for the sake of discussion, that someone wants to vote "Against".

Senate Democrats just pulled a horse trade where they swapped judges that are lifetime appointments for getting to go home.

Should that really light a fire under the butts of anyone who wants to cast an "Against" vote?

[numberthirty]

What's an even sadder state of affairs is knowing that "Democrats" -- Senate or otherwise -- don't have the numbers to do anything to stop the Republicans at this point because many Americans would rather sit around complaining than voting "against" Republicans like Trump and McConnell.

Looking forward to the day when voters (such as yourself) take some responsibility for the situation that we as Americans find ourselves in -- as bad as the racists, sexists, and homophobes on the "right" are at least they have enough sense to vote to change the things they are complaining about.

Until that happens, I'm sure you'll find even more to complain about in the coming years: from my perspective, it's a sad state -- and stupid -- of affairs when climate change is less important to many American voters than "emails" but I'm not going to sit around wasting time blaming "Democrats" for the relative ignorance of the voting public.

That's because they are actually voting "For" something.

You'd be amazed at how well that works.

[numberthirty]

On a particular corner of that...

One of the things you see is that one of Republicans best bets is for younger voters not to turn out.

Factoring that in, how much work are Democrats putting into addressing reasons why those younger voters might not turn out?

[aja_christopher]

"White House Finally Admits Bannon and Kobach Were Racist Minds Behind Scheme to Rig 2020 Census"

"Despite earlier saying he knew nothing about how the effort was orchestrated within the White House, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross has revealed that he does remember putting Steve "Let-them-call-you -racist" Bannon, the white nationalist former top advisor to President Trump, in touch with then-Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach in order to provide guidance about adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census — an effort that drew outrage from voting rights advocates when it was introduced by the administration earlier this year.

"Trump wants to distract us with Kanye West in the White House, while news leaks that his Commerce Secretary conspired with a white supremacist to rig the Census," said Steven Choi, executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition. "It's obvious that the administration hates immigrants and wants to deny big, blue states federal resources and political power by undercounting them in the Census. This is a perversion of the Constitution for partisan gain and a direct attack on anyone who doesn't meet Steve Bannon's warped approval."

Journalist Ari Berman, called the revelation — contained in a filing by the Department of Justice as part of an ongoing lawsuit against the administration — a "smoking gun" in proving that the origin story of the policy spun by the White House was false and that it was, as many critics assumed, conceived as a conscious effort to impact future redistricting of communities by suppressing participation in the next census by immigrants and others..."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/20...t-minds-behind

[numberthirty]

From the "Illinois" corner...

While it's not really a surprise, it is sad to see things veer back towards the existing pattern when it comes the the Chicago Police Department.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/l...010-story.html

Chicago Police Board clears cop in controversial fatal shooting of 15-year-old boy

[aja_christopher]

That's because they are actually voting "For" something.

You'd be amazed at how well that works.

You could have voted "for" the candidate who wanted....

Hillary's vision for America
During her 2016 campaign for president, Hillary and her team laid out a comprehensive progressive vision for America’s future.

A fair tax system
Making sure the wealthy, Wall Street, and corporations pay their fair share in taxes.

Addiction and substance use
Through improved treatment, prevention, and training, we can end this quiet epidemic once and for all.

An economy that works for everyone
We need to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top.

An end to Alzheimer’s disease
We can prevent, effectively treat, and make an Alzheimer’s cure possible by 2025.

Autism
Millions of Americans live with autism—and we’ve got to do more to support them and their families.

Campaign finance reform
Our democracy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy and well-connected.

Campus sexual assault
It’s not enough to condemn campus sexual assault. We need to end it.

Climate change
Taking on the threat of climate change and making America the world’s clean energy superpower.

Combating terrorism and keeping the homeland safe
It’s not enough to contain ISIS and the threat of terrorism—we have to defeat it.

Criminal justice reform
Our criminal justice system is out of balance.

Disability rights
We must continue to expand opportunities for Americans with disabilities.

Early childhood education
Every child deserves the chance to live up to his or her God-given potential.

Fixing America’s infrastructure
Strong infrastructure is critical to a strong economy.

Gun violence prevention
We can—and must—end the epidemic of gun violence.

Health care
Universal, quality, affordable health care for everyone in America

HIV and AIDS
We have reached a critical moment in our fight against HIV and AIDS.

Housing
We need housing policies that connect working families to opportunity.

Immigration reform
We need comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to full and equal citizenship.

Jobs and wages
We can make the boldest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II.

K-12 education
Strong public education is the key to preparing our children for the future.

Labor and workers’ rights
When unions are strong, America is strong.

LGBT rights and equality
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans deserve to live their lives free from discrimination.

Making college debt-free and taking on student debt
Hillary will make debt-free college available to everyone and take on student loan debt.

Manufacturing
Hillary Clinton’s plan to strengthen manufacturing so we always “Make it in America.”

Mental health
We have to address the mental health crisis in America and end the stigma and shame associated with treatment.

Military and defense
We should maintain the best-trained, best-equipped, and strongest military the world has ever known.

National security
With policies that keep us strong and safe, America will lead the world in the 21st century.

National service
Do all the good you can.

Paid family and medical leave
It’s time to guarantee paid family and medical leave in America.

Poverty
No child should ever have to grow up in poverty.

Protecting animals and wildlife
The way our society treats animals is a reflection of our humanity.

Racial justice
America’s long struggle with race is far from finished.

Rural communities
America’s rural communities are the backbone of this country.

Small business
We have to level the playing field for America’s small businesses.

Social Security and Medicare
We must preserve, protect, and strengthen these lifelines.

Technology and innovation
We can harness the power of technology and innovation to work for all Americans.

Veterans, the armed forces, and their families
America must fully commit to supporting veterans.

Voting rights
We should be making it easier to vote, not harder.

Wall Street reform
Wall Street must work for Main Street.

Women’s rights and opportunity
We need to break down barriers that hold women back.

Workforce skills and job training
Every American should be able to learn the skills they need to compete and succeed.

https://www.hillaryclinton.com/issues/


...but you didn't.

So obviously -- using you as an example -- it doesn't work when many Americans would rather give lip service to "voting for something" than actually doing so.

[numberthirty]

You could have voted "for" the candidate who wanted universal health care, equal pay for women, a higher minimum wage (etc) but you didn't.

Not going to waste time on this 30 -- but likewise I'm going to point out your hypocrisy as needed.

And also wanted to throw an election away on deciding who were and who were not "Real" Democrats.

For starters.

[aja_christopher]

And also wanted to throw an election away on deciding who were and who were not "Real" Democrats.

For starters.

Whatever you say 30 -- enjoy your president.

[numberthirty]

So obviously -- using you as an example -- it doesn't work when many Americans would rather give lip service to "voting for something" than actually doing so.

It doesn't work when someone who was intent on digging themselves a hole that they were going to have to climb out of for the sake of division wound up counting on a vote "Against" her opponent to pull off a win.

The entire close of that campaign was fishing for "Against" votes when it should have been trying to solidify votes "For".

[aja_christopher]

It doesn't work when someone who was intent on digging themselves a hole that they were going to have to climb out of for the sake of division wound up counting on a vote "Against" her opponent to pull off a win.

The entire close of that campaign was fishing for "Against" votes when it should have been trying to solidify votes "For".

30 -- you are (I am assuming) a grown adult which means that it's time to grow up and stop blaming others for actions that fall under your realm of responsibility.

I just gave you a list of things that you could have voted "for" and you ignored it, further proving that your "for" argument is weak and not even worth addressing.