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

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, 2015, 2016, as well as 2017, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Florida State Senator Kathleen Passidomo, a member of the Florida House of Representatives who first appeared on the political scene in 2010, who since taking office, has fought hard to allow banks to be able to shorten the amount of time needed before they could seek foreclosure on homes, from five years to one. What really made Passidomo newsworthy, however, was the day she tried to get dress code restrictions passed for Florida schools by trying to justify it after news reports were released about a group of teenage boys in Cleveland, Texas, gang-raping an 11-year old girl, where Passidomo started blaming the victim and saying it was because “she dressed like a prostitute”. When the media reported her utterly disgusting remarks, Passidomo then started playing the victim, herself, and saying he was “really hurt” that people were outraged.

Passidomo was allowed to run for the Florida State Senate for the first time in 2016 unopposed, and she managed to be re-elected in 2018 with 66% of the vote to a second term in the Florida State Senate.
 

[Tendrin]

Two Kansas Republican lawmakers said Wednesday they would leave their party and join the Democratic minority because the GOP is no longer serving in the best interests of their state.

Kansas state Sen. Dinah Sykes and state Rep. Stephanie Clayton, who had identified as moderate Republicans in the past, announced their decisions ahead of the upcoming legislative session, which begins next month. The lawmakers said they were disappointed in Republican leaders who focused on “issues and approaches that divide our country,” as Sykes put it, rather than their constituents’ needs.

Clayton pointed to an effort to scrap a bipartisan school funding proposal that had been in the works for two years until the GOP said it would be too expensive.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b01059bfc6713d

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Lindsey Graham Turns On Donald Trump Over Syria With Obama-Themed Dig

The GOP senator warned Trump he would make a “huge Obama-like mistake.” When Dolt45's biggest buttmunch disliked the Syria move, you KNOW things are bad!

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Trump Administration Goes Around Congress On Food Stamp Work Requirements

Who needs Congress when you can write your own regulation? Why doesn't that surprise me?

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Senate Unanimously Approves Bill To Make Lynching A Federal Crime

“Lynching is a dark and despicable aspect of our nation’s history,” said Sen. Kamala Harris. “We must acknowledge that fact lest we repeat it.” Wait. Lynching WASN'T already a federal crime? Seriously?

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Paul Ryan Played Dumb On Donald Trump All The Way To The End

The departing GOP House speaker leaves a legacy of willful ignorance. Eddie Munster wasn't just ignorant, but gutless as well. Ryan could well go down as THE worst Speaker EVER.

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Huntington Bank Apologizes For Calling Police On Black Man Trying To Cash His Paycheck

The bank referred to the incident as an “extremely unfortunate event.” Now we have "Paycheck Cashing While Black". Disgusting!

[Tami]

Mattis, once one of ‘my generals,’ loses his influence with Trump

President Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw troops from Syria is a clear rebuke to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, the last remaining member of a retinue of military men Trump once fondly called “my generals.”

Mattis had argued that the counterterrorism mission in Syria is not over and that the small U.S. presence in Syria should remain, said current and former U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share internal policy discussions.

The Pentagon chief also had tried to explain to Trump that there would be more chaos in the region and future problems for the United States if the troops leave, they said.

On Wednesday, it became clear Trump was brushing aside his defense secretary’s advice.

Once considered among the most influential advisers to a president with no prior government or military experience, Mattis has been repeatedly overruled by Trump in recent months and left out of key discussions as the president pursues his own national security path.

Mattis is also frustrated that Trump vetoed his choice to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s highest-ranking miliary officer. Trump announced this month that he has chosen Gen. Mark A. Milley, the Army’s chief of staff, to replace the current chairman, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., who is due to step down next fall. Mattis had recommended the Air Force chief of staff, Gen. David L. Goldfein, people familiar with the discussions said.

Trump also sidestepped Mattis’s concern about deploying U.S. forces to the U.S.-Mexico border this fall with only a vague mandate for border security. Mattis has told Pentagon leaders that he is following orders and they must do the same, U.S. officials said.

[worstblogever]

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry...b01059bfc6713d

I'm waiting to see if the last handful of sane Republicans in Washington start jumping ship. Maybe someone who's ex FBI like Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.

Still, it's a pretty clear sign the winds are starting to blow in the opposite direction.

[Tendrin]

I'm waiting to see if the last handful of sane Republicans in Washington start jumping ship. Maybe someone who's ex FBI like Pennsylvania Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick.

Still, it's a pretty clear sign the winds are starting to blow in the opposite direction.

Meanwhile, the rest of the GOP continues to be consumed by Trump.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ws-rnc-1067875

President Donald Trump is planning to roll out an unprecedented structure for his 2020 reelection, a streamlined organization that incorporates the Republican National Committee and the president’s campaign into a single entity.
It’s a stark expression of Trump’s stranglehold over the Republican Party: Traditionally, a presidential reelection committee has worked in tandem with the national party committee, not subsumed it.

Under the plan, which has been in the works for several weeks, the Trump reelection campaign and the RNC will merge their field and fundraising programs into a joint outfit dubbed Trump Victory. The two teams will also share office space rather than operate out of separate buildings, as has been custom.

[InformationGeek]

Hey WBE, keep an eye on Robin Vos, Speaker of the House in Wisconsin. His determination to prevent Tony Evers from having any power in office is definitely worth a profile I feel.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) said Wednesday he would discuss whether to look at limiting Evers' power with Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau). FItzgerald is open to the idea, according to an aide.

"If there are areas where we could look and say, 'Geez — have we made mistakes where we granted too much power to the executive,' I'd be open to taking a look to say what can we do to change that to try to re-balance it," Vos told reporters.

"Maybe we made some mistakes giving too much power to Gov. (Scott) Walker and I'd be open to looking at that to see if there are areas we should change that, but it's far too early to do that before I talk to Scott Fitzgerald."

From the Atlantic...

“We do not believe that any one individual should have the opportunity to come in and with the stroke of a pen eliminate laws that have been passed by our legislature and found constitutional by our courts,” said Robin Vos, the speaker of the state assembly, in a briefing with reporters before an all-night session of the legislature.

“We did have an election,” Vos continued. “Whether everyone here likes it, I respect the fact that Tony Evers is the governor and is going to be starting on January 7. But he’s not the governor today, and that’s why we are going to make sure that the powers of each branch are as equal as they can be.”

“The system,” Vos said, “right now is heavily weighted toward the executive.”

He also appeared in Samantha Bee's show briefly with one hell of a quote.

[Tami]

Meanwhile, the rest of the GOP continues to be consumed by Trump.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ws-rnc-1067875

“There are some people who choose for whatever reason to handcuff themselves to the Titanic,” said John Weaver, an adviser to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, who is considering challenging Trump in the Republican primary. “Why, I have no idea.”

Doing this pretty much kneecaps any Republican who is thinking running in 2020. It also begs the question, 'What happens if Trump Can't Run in 2020? What happens if he is impeached? Or resigns? Or is indicted? Or whatever. '

[jetengine]

Meanwhile, the rest of the GOP continues to be consumed by Trump.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ws-rnc-1067875

That stinks of facism. "There is no conservative vote but the Trump vote".

[worstblogever]

Meanwhile, the rest of the GOP continues to be consumed by Trump.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...ws-rnc-1067875

Doing this pretty much kneecaps any Republican who is thinking running in 2020. It also begs the question, 'What happens if Trump Can't Run in 2020? What happens if he is impeached? Or resigns? Or is indicted? Or whatever. '

That stinks of facism. "There is no conservative vote but the Trump vote".

It's like they're daring John Kasich to run 3rd party.

[worstblogever]

Remember how before Mick Mulvaney was named the new White House Chief of Staff, there were rumors that North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows was being considered for the gig?

We may know why he didn't make the cut. His Wikipedia page just changed, in regards to his education background. It seems Rep. Meadows may have lied about what kind of degree he has to sound more accomplished than he is.

[Kirby101]

Remember how before Mick Mulvaney was named the new White House Chief of Staff, there were rumors that North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows was being considered for the gig?

We may know why he didn't make the cut. His Wikipedia page just changed, in regards to his education background. It seems Rep. Meadows may have lied about what kind of degree he has to sound more accomplished than he is.

That sounds more like a reason he WOULD fit in the Trump White House

[PaulBullion]

As someone who had to live through the **** slinging that was the McCaskill race this year...yeah, there's no way a Democrat is taking MO is 2020. There are way too many crazies drinking the kool-aid.
My favorite Republican mailer this year was Claire McCaskill, Nancy Pelosi, Chuck Schumer, and Bernie Sander's faces photoshoped onto Mt Rushmore with "Mt Taxmore" written above it in big letters. The guy's campaign slogan was just "DON'T LET THE LIBERALS WIN!".

MO is a lost cause, just give up on us doing the right thing.

Seriously.

McCaskill is getting **** for "not being sure" if a Democrat can win Missouri? Wasn't "being sure" about winning some states a reason people hated on Hillary after Russia enthroned Trump?

[PaulBullion]

Got an alert saying the Senate approved a spending bill to avoid a government shutdown....WITHOUT funding for Trump’s precious border wall. That’s sure to piss off Dolt45.

So much for the theory that Democrats are spineless sellouts.

[PaulBullion]

Tough weeks for Trumpsters:

North Korea says it won't denuclearize unless the US removes its troops and nuclear umbrella from South Korea and Japan. DPRK also accused the US and Trump of misleading the world about what was agreed to at the Singapore talks last summer.

https://twitter.com/christinawilkie/...41602696196096