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

[PaulBullion]

Judiciary Committee cancels votes on over 20 Trump court picks as Jeff Flake vows to oppose them

He wants that Mueller protection.

[Tazirai]

Way to go America. I guess Guns are more important than American Lives.
There's a lot of nuance to this, so I do advise reading beyond the headline.

U.S. Life Expectancy Drops Amid 'Disturbing' Rise In Overdoses And Suicides

[Mister Mets]

I've considered the possibility that the Democrats have a lot of candidates lining up because they think if they get up against Trump with a looming recession hitting sometime in 2019, it will be a slam dunk to win the presidency.

But I also think that the DNC are keeping the prospective field larger because they know the minute Trump can single out one opponent, he's going to take aim, and sling the ugliest garbage possible at them. The longer they don't have a favorite, the better advantage to stay out of his Twitter feed.

Do you think this is a case of decisions made in a smoke-filled room? Could a handful of people in the DNC really decide that Elizabeth Warren or Kamala Harris or Steve Bullock is the frontrunner.

It may work out well for Democrats to have a large prospective field, although that's probably not because of intentional decisions by the DNC, but because of a field that sat out 2012 and 2016, and the way everyone has flaws.
Biden is clearly leading in polls, but he'll be 78 on election day, and an old white guy.
Sanders, the alsoran, is even older, and not even technically a member of the party. He's also no longer going to be the only anti-Hillary choice.
Beto is a white guy in a party looking for diversity, lost his bid for statewide office and spent his entire congressional career as a backbencher in the minority party.
Warren, Gilibrand, Harris and Booker are all polling in single digits. They've failed to stand out in the Senate, and are likely to compete with one another (as well as other interested Senators) for attention.

I don't think it would've mattered WHO was in the Oval Office, chances are Espy STILL would've lost in that state.

====================

Trump Floats Potential Pardon For Paul Manafort In Mueller Probe

The president made the dubious claim he’d never discussed pardoning Manafort, but said he wouldn’t “take it off the table.” I guess IQ45 wants to protect his buddy after all.

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Senate Advances Judicial Nominee Known For Weakening Black Voters’ Rights

“It is unconscionable that the Senate would even consider someone with Thomas Farr’s record,” said Sherrilyn Ifill of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Why am I NOT surprised? This is heinous, but utterly predictable, especially when it came to Tim Scott (South Carolina), the lone black Republican who dutifully toed the party line and advanced the vote. Yo, WBE, maybe Scott needs your attention.

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Donald Trump Shares Meme Showing Obama, Clintons Behind Bars For Treason

The president shared several tweets bashing his most high-profile critics on Wednesday. You'd think the President of the United States would have better things to do with his time than indulge in nonsense like this. Well, you'd be wrong.



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Many Americans Are Giving Trump The Benefit Of The Doubt On Manufacturing Jobs

In a poll taken after the news of the GM layoffs, 44 percent said the president has or will bring back blue-collar jobs. Taking Trump, a known liar and conman at his word would be a terrible mistake.

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Tom Cotton Is Here To Ruin Prison Reform

The Arkansas Republican is working hard to blow up a bipartisan deal. Well, of course he is. Ridiclulous!

You were earlier suggesting that a significant chunk of people stay Republican because of Trump, which suggests that if Mitt Romney or someone else were in the White House right now, the party would be doing worse.

So there's a non-trivial chance that Mike Pence becomes the second longest-serving President ever (if Trump is forced out after January 2019, and an incumbent President Pence runs for election at the ages of 61 and 65)

[Tazirai]

This is partially good news. 14 Republicans have SOME humanity...

[numberthirty]

My meaning is for the overall good of he country, the markets are not a way to determine how well the majority of Americans are doing. Yeah, your friend might be in the stock game. I am with my 401k, but even for me and him gains and losses outside of being a millionaire doesn't tell me how the majority of my neighborhood is doing. See what I'm saying?

Yep.

While I'm not going to say it is "Worthless", it is largely a rather "Hot Garbage" metric for trying to gauge how your average working person is doing in America in the year 2018.

[Mister Mets]

Tim Scott announces his opposition to Thomas Farr to be a US district judge.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/polit...ion/index.html

[BeastieRunner]

Tim Scott announces his opposition to Thomas Farr to be a US district judge.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/polit...ion/index.html

A spine has been found in the GOP!

[InformationGeek]

Speaking of food stamps, I believe one of WBE's Republican regulars piped up about it.

How long until someone runs on the platform of #FoodStampsForAll ?
If healthcare is a right, is food as well?

Tom Massie really thought that statement through, didn't he?

[BeastieRunner]

Speaking of food stamps, I believe one of WBE's Republican regulars piped up about it.



Tom Massie really thought that statement through, didn't he?

I think the GOP needs a year-long class on Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Tim Scott announces his opposition to Thomas Farr to be a US district judge.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/29/polit...ion/index.html

Well, well, it seems Scott saw the light and realized Farr was a non-starter as a judge. Good!

[JCAll]

Speaking of food stamps, I believe one of WBE's Republican regulars piped up about it.

Tom Massie really thought that statement through, didn't he?

The very existence of Food Stamps implies that the government ALREADY acknowledges food as a right, which is why they buy it for people that can't afford it for themselves.
The question is "Are we doing enough?".

I should laugh that his gotcha libs thought experiment end with the realization that the GOP's attacks on Food Stamps can be considered an attack on human rights.

[Darkspellmaster]

Regarding Burke, something you should note. He didnt have his workers in today, so he's probably giving the Feds everything he's got, as hes running for the 14th district in Chicago again and doesn't want anything to damage that run. His major issues were eith Mayor Washington, but hes seen by most as pretty decent. His wife Ann is a top ranked Judge as well, not sure what bench she is on though.

I wouldn't be surprised at all if Chicago hands over documents on the building of Trump tower in Chicago as well to them.

[Gray Lensman]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b030172fa94c17

Nancy Pelosi Wins Democratic Speaker Nomination

So her nomination is now secure? There I was hoping for fresh new blood but now hopes are dashed.

Pelosi is rather clever. She has secured the support of several progressives by promising them committee chairs over the issues they seem to care the most about. And by reminding them that the most serious challenges to her are actually coming from the right, so they aren't likely to get much from any of her opponents.

[Tami]

Russia ‘rejects’ Trump plan to cancel Argentina meeting and will summon president to meet Putin: report

President Donald Trump on Thursday attempted to cancel his planned meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina.

“Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin,” Trump tweeted. “I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!”

President Donald Trump on Thursday attempted to cancel his planned meeting with Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin at the G20 summit in Argentina.

“Based on the fact that the ships and sailors have not been returned to Ukraine from Russia, I have decided it would be best for all parties concerned to cancel my previously scheduled meeting in Argentina with President Vladimir Putin,” Trump tweeted. “I look forward to a meaningful Summit again as soon as this situation is resolved!”

[SuperiorIronman]

The thing that I find amusing about Russia saying "nah, we'll still talk" is this mental image of Trump getting ready to golf and finding Putin waiting for him at his resort Darth Vader style.