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

[worstblogever]

https://thinkprogress.org/georgia-po...-4f131f6f8c7f/

WBE, I know you've probably profiled this guy, but I had to comment on this. How do you say that you always have a problem with people using the word, but in the same breath, make up excuses for Trump using the word? And, oh about that "in the past, when the word might have been more acceptable" line? We're not talking about Trump saying it in the 1960s or 1970s; we're talking about him saying the word during his tenure on The Apprentice. That's this century, not the last!

In conclusion, Michael Williams is full of shit.

He is, I profiled him already, and he's soon to be out of office after his failed gubernatorial bid. Hopefully, he doesn't try a comeback in 2020.

At this point, it's safe to say that any statements from ICE ought to be treated with immediate suspicion and contempt.

Wait, we shouldn't trust an organization that locks children in cages and then denies knowing where they are, exactly, until the press hunts down the location?

Huh. Who knew?

[Tendrin]

Wait, we shouldn't trust an organization that locks children in cages and then denies knowing where they are, exactly, until the press hunts down the location?

Huh. Who knew?

Well, there's still some apologists in this thread somewhere, I'm sure.

[worstblogever]

In 2014, 2015, as well as 2016, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of the former U.S. House Representative from Texas’ 19th Congressional District, Randy Neugebauer, who became infamous during the 2013 Government Shutdown when he tried to shame a park ranger working on furlough at the World War II Memorial for the park being closed… when he was the one who shut down the government. Rep. Neugebauer also was the Congressman who once screamed out “BABY KILLER!” on the House floor at Rep. Bart Stupak of Michigan for having voted for the Affordable Care Act, claimed migrant children being held in detention facilities prior to being deported back to their families are being spoiled and treated in a “lovely way”, and voted against Hurricane Sandy Relief money while admitting that if a natural disaster happened in his district, he’d snatch up that aid money in a heartbeat. Randy Neugebauer continued to be a portrait of unbalanced partisan ideology, including how he hamstrung an education bill moving through the House in February 2015 by inserting an amendment into the bill that withheld federal funding from school districts that contract with health centers unless the center certifies that it will not provide abortions or give students any information about abortion, including directions to the nearest abortion provider. He also was busy voting for any and all anti-abortion measures and voting to deny funding to the Department of Homeland Security out of protest for President Obama's executive orders on immigration. Worst of all, when Neugebauer pops off at say, a park ranger or Bart Stupak in a burst of impotent rage, when he's asked to accept responsibility for his outbursts, he often tries lying and claiming "it wasn't me" that did it, like a craven little weasel. We'll give you one guess about how Randy Neugebauer reacted to the fake "sting" videos created by the Center for Medical Progresss, though... he was rabid in buying into the fraud for political gain. The good news is Randy Neugeabuer retired in 2016, and presumably he will use all of his free time to accuse random people of infanticide and then retreat before they can ask him what his problem is, like the twitchy twit he's always been.

[worstblogever]

It was one year ago today that “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” shared its first profile about the latest U.S. House Representative from Texas’ 19th Congressional District, Jodey Arrington, the man who just took the place of CSGOPOTD alumni Randy Neugebauer for his seat in Congress. Nine Republicans were in the GOP primary to replace Neugebauer, and Arrington emerged based on the political capitol he build up working first for George W. Bush as an aide while he was still Governor of Texas and in the Bush White House, and helping him fill up executive appointed posts during his administration. That included the choice of hiring a man named Michael Brown as head of FEMA, whose only experience was breeding horses. Remarkably, this led to Arrington being thrown into the fire to clean up the Gulf Coast after Brown had to resign in disgrace, where Arrington served as deputy federal coordinator for the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding.

Now, in an election year where it benefitted more candidates to be the political outsider on the conservative side, it might seem odd that Arrington still managed to narrowly win his primary on a run-off. Well, in spite of maintaining his strong Bush Administration credentials, he also won a Breitbart endorsement by doing, what else? Taking a trip down to the U.S./Mexico border and talking tough about illegal immigrants. As it turns out, the now Rep. Arrington’s disdain for Mexicans was not something he just did in campaign mode, as he has gone on record as a supporter of Donald Trump’s border wall. But his support of xenophobia is not limited only to Mexicans, though, because Arrington also came out in defense of Trump’s bigoted Muslim ban when it was announced. Hell, Arrington’s drinking Trump’s Kool-Aid so much it looks like he’s visiting Jonestown, as he gave Trump’s First 100 Days in office an “A”.

But what Jodey Arrington did that is completely new for him (but sadly not for Republicans), happened back in late March 2017. Arrington, in a hearing on SNAP benefits, quoted the Bible’s 2 Thesslalonians 3:10, “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” Now, there are wiser and more well-versed Biblical experts will point out that Jesus was pretty much the guy who was ALL ABOUT FEEDING THE HUNGRY, Jodey Arrington is the latest Republican to use this verse out of context to take away food stamp benefits that, guess what? All too often go towards feeding CHILDREN. See also former CSGOPOTD profiles on Kevin Cramer and Stephen Fincher for others who tried twisting scripture out of context to turn it into something resembling a religion Ayn Rand would have possibly been into.

Not surprisingly, Jodey Arrington has also voted with his party the great majority of the time in his freshman term in office, including the following:

• February 16th, 2017: Arrington votes for HJR 69, to make it legal for hunters on wildlife reserves to kill several species of hibernating bears or wolves while they’re sleeping.
• March 16th, 2017: Jodey Arrington votes for HR 1181, which would allow veterans deemed mentally incompetent to continue to own firearms, and not have them taken away without a judge's written order.
• March 28th, 2017: Rep. Arrington votes for SJ Res 34, which allowed internet providers to sell the data information of their customers' internet usage to businesses.
• May 4th, 2017: Arrington votes for the House GOP's healthcare plan, that would kick roughly 24 million people off their health insurance plans, allow up to 28,000 more people to die a year, give $50,000 in tax breaks to millionaires, and would eliminate coverage for pre-existing conditions which would include such medical conditions as pregnancy (current or past), postpartum depression, or prior sexual assault. Oh, and a provision in the bill would make sure that Arrington would be allowed to keep his healthcare plan as it exists under the ACA, which would be repealed for the rest of the country. He and his Republican compatriots threw themselves a beer bash to celebrate taking away healthcare from millions and then gloated about it with Donald Trump at a White House press conference, as well.
• June 8th, 2017: Jodey Arrington votes for HR 10, the GOP’s attempt to repeal Dodd-Frank financial reform, because what the country really needs is to allow the big banks to make the same mistakes that imploded the economy only a decade earlier.
• September 8th, 2017: Rep. Arrington chooses to be one of 90 Republicans in Congress who votes against disaster relief for Hurricane Harvey. He is... a Congressman from Texas. So... do the math there.
• October 3rd, 2017: Arrington votes for HR 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, that would try to create an unconstitutional ban abortion at 20 weeks (even though medical science tells us fetuses do not have the capability to feel pain until 29 weeks).
• December 19th, 2017: Jodey Arrington votes for HR 1, the GOP’s $1.7 trillion tax cut to benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations permanently that coincidentally also removes the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and kicks 13 million people off their health insurance.
• February 18th, 2018: Arrington and his fellow Republicans decide that poor big businesses are suffering too much at the hands of the Americans with Disabilities Act too much, and votes for HR 620, which would strip most of the civil rights protections guaranteed by it.

Texas’ 19th District is one of the more conservative in Congress, so Jodey Arrington’s challenger is Miguel Levario, a Texas Tech Professor who grew up around El Paso. Arrington’s Breitbart ties could end up making this race far closer than it would be with the partisan advantage. It will be interesting to see how this race turns out, especially in light of Arrington being forced to defend the Trump administration’s family separation policy to constituents.in a district so close to the border, where it’s being carried out.

[Username taken]

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/08/20/a...ntl/index.html

This is really horrifying and more attention needs to be drawn this.

Honestly, a lot of rich nations are getting away with a lot of stuff like this because folks choose to turn a blind eye.

It's funny how Australia (and the US) pride themselves on being so civilized advanced and yet they treat illegal immigrants like complete monsters.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

So a week after Fox News ran the wrong image for a RIP Aretha Franklin spot and had an analyst claim we were at war with Japan (she likely meant trade war with China lol) how do you fucking top that nonsense ? If you say run a segment about the National Anthem , omit any facts and just walk up to some white folks on a busy street of New York only ....RAISE YOUR HAND.

In the segment I saw the Fox News guy was on street and he would bring up ESPN not airing the national anthem. What Fox News guy failed to mention was that ESPN last year stopped airing it and only would air it on special occasions (a big death , etc). Anyhow the guy never mentioned this (I wonder why ? hmmm) and judging from the brief clip I saw ...never walked up to a black person and asked them about it. Now maybe he did before the clip aired but 2-3 people he'd walk up to were white folks who were the typical outrage society ..."Use their money for this , leave it alone !"

But who wants a bet Fox News guy never spoke to an actual black person in this ? I mean if your gonna omit facts to just get outrage I'm sure he knew who to walk up to.

[4saken1]

So a week after Fox News ran the wrong image for a RIP Aretha Franklin spot and had an analyst claim we were at war with Japan (she likely meant trade war with China lol) how do you fucking top that nonsense ? If you say run a segment about the National Anthem , omit any facts and just walk up to some white folks on a busy street of New York only ....RAISE YOUR HAND.

In the segment I saw the Fox News guy was on street and he would bring up ESPN not airing the national anthem. What Fox News guy failed to mention was that ESPN last year stopped airing it and only would air it on special occasions (a big death , etc). Anyhow the guy never mentioned this (I wonder why ? hmmm) and judging from the brief clip I saw ...never walked up to a black person and asked them about it. Now maybe he did before the clip aired but 2-3 people he'd walk up to were white folks who were the typical outrage society ..."Use their money for this , leave it alone !"

But who wants a bet Fox News guy never spoke to an actual black person in this ? I mean if your gonna omit facts to just get outrage I'm sure he knew who to walk up to.

Funny thin is, FOX viewers always seem to be the loudest in their criticism of other MSM news.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

So a week after Fox News ran the wrong image for a RIP Aretha Franklin spot and had an analyst claim we were at war with Japan (she likely meant trade war with China lol) how do you fucking top that nonsense ? If you say run a segment about the National Anthem , omit any facts and just walk up to some white folks on a busy street of New York only ....RAISE YOUR HAND.

In the segment I saw the Fox News guy was on street and he would bring up ESPN not airing the national anthem. What Fox News guy failed to mention was that ESPN last year stopped airing it and only would air it on special occasions (a big death , etc). Anyhow the guy never mentioned this (I wonder why ? hmmm) and judging from the brief clip I saw ...never walked up to a black person and asked them about it. Now maybe he did before the clip aired but 2-3 people he'd walk up to were white folks who were the typical outrage society ..."Use their money for this , leave it alone !"

But who wants a bet Fox News guy never spoke to an actual black person in this ? I mean if your gonna omit facts to just get outrage I'm sure he knew who to walk up to.

A sucker’s bet if I ever heard one. The dead LAST thing Faux News wants is a dissenting opinion on topics they use to roil up their low IQ viewers. Hell, I’d be surprised if they ever interviewed black folks for ANY reason.

[Tami]

Miami Herald throws support behind Republican who says she was abducted by aliens

The Miami Herald has endorsed a Republican candidate running for Congress in Florida’s 27th District that says she was abducted by aliens when she was 7-years-old.

According to The Herald, the editorial board was put in an awkward position by the front-runners in the GOP primary, who refused to sit down with the paper. Another candidate said that he wasn’t interested in the endorsement. It left few options for the paper to consider for their political endorsements. However, they said that they were impressed by business consultant Bettina Rodriguez-Aguilera.

They touted her “working class agenda” with detailed reforms to make to housing, credit scores, student loan payments and other issues. She’s the daughter of Cuban political prisoner, Rodriguez Aguilera.

However, The Herald acknowledged that she’s an unusual candidate.

“Last year, she told the Miami Herald — and several Spanish-language media outlets — that she believes in extra-terrestrials,” the endorsement stated. “She says when she was 7, she was taken aboard a spaceship and, throughout her life, she has communicated telepathically with the beings, which remind her of the concrete Christ in Brazil.”

They were quick to explain that her secret telepathic conversations with aliens were “non-issues” because as a former official and businesswoman she is a professional.

The race is to fill a seat left vacant by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). In the Democratic Primary, The Herald endorsed Democrat David Richardson, who spent 10 years at The Herald and as program director for the Knight Foundation.

[Tendrin]

I was going to post this but Tami beat me to it.

[Trey Strain]

This was the plan all along. You know it, I know it and God knows it.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/gop-...ty-reform.html

[Tami]

Trump Lawyers’ Sudden Realization: They Don’t Know What Don McGahn Told Mueller’s Team

President Trump’s lawyers do not know just how much the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, told the special counsel’s investigators during months of interviews, a lapse that has contributed to a growing recognition that an early strategy of full cooperation with the inquiry was a potentially damaging mistake.

The president’s lawyers said on Sunday that they were confident that Mr. McGahn had said nothing injurious to the president during the 30 hours of interviews. But Mr. McGahn’s lawyer has offered only a limited accounting of what Mr. McGahn told the investigators, according to two people close to the president.

That has prompted concern among Mr. Trump’s advisers that Mr. McGahn’s statements could help serve as a key component for a damning report by the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, which the Justice Department could send to Congress, according to two people familiar with the discussions.

Mr. Trump’s lawyers realized on Saturday that they had not been provided a full accounting after The New York Times published an article describing Mr. McGahn’s extensive cooperation with Mr. Mueller’s office. After Mr. McGahn was initially interviewed by the special counsel’s office in November, Mr. Trump’s lawyers never asked for a complete description of what Mr. McGahn had said, according to a person close to the president.

[aja_christopher]

This was the plan all along. You know it, I know it and God knows it.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/20/gop-...ty-reform.html

It's a Republican standard.

-----
"Trump trillion-dollar-plus deficits are putting America on a path to fiscal ruin"

"It became very clear this month that neither the Trump White House nor its allies on Capitol Hill want you to know that the federal budget is already in very bad shape ... and getting worse.

It happened when the U.S. Treasury, the official keeper of Washington’s financial results, issued its monthly statement for the first 10 months of fiscal 2018 about federal revenues and spending and, therefore, the budget deficit. The Treasury showed what no president ever wants to admit: the deficit is spiking. The federal government’s red ink this year is already 21 percent above what it was in 2017 and there are few prospects that the bottom line will improve anytime soon.

Except with infrequent and unsubstantiated platitudes about how the situation is going to get better, the Trump White House and Republicans in Congress have been doing everything possible not to talk about the budget this year. To avoid tough questions and politically embarrassing votes, the House and Senate have even refused to consider a budget even though they are required by law to adopt one.

But this year isn’t the real issue.

Trump's deficits are permanent -- unlike the trillion-dollar budget deficits that occurred during the Obama administration that were temporary and largely the result of the Great Recession, the Trump deficits that will soon reach and exceed $1 trillion are permanent and will only get worse in the years ahead. The Trump deficits are the result of changes in federal spending and revenues that will continue to be in place until some president and Congress decide to reverse them, that is, to increase taxes and make cuts to popular programs.

Not only has there been little appetite to do that, many in Congress and the Trump administration seem to be hell bent on ignoring the current deficit and national debt and increasing spending and reducing revenues even further. For example, the White House last week proposed a new Space Force that would likely add billions, if not hundreds of billions, to the Pentagon’s budget.

Trump has asked for $25 billion for the wall he wants to build between the U.S. and Mexico. His much talked about but still unseen infrastructure plan would cost countless billions more...

The White House [is] actually refusing to comment on three key issues:

First, it obviously doesn’t want to talk about how big the annual deficit could get in the years ahead. The Congressional Budget Office is already projecting it will exceed $1.5 trillion by 2028, and that assumes no changes from existing taxes and spending laws and no recession.

Second, it also doesn’t want to talk about how it will pay for more tax cuts, a Space Force, the wall, infrastructure or anything else ... including reducing the deficit.

Third, the Trump administration doesn’t want to explain how it’s going to manage the U.S. economy out of a recession if one happens on its watch. The traditional federal response of tax cuts and spending increases might not be as politically palatable as it has been in the past given that it could drive the annual deficit to close to $2 trillion.

The budget policymakers on Capitol Hill and in the Trump White House obviously aren’t focusing on much beyond 2018 and 2020. But they should at least be willing to admit that there’s a problem that will continue long after the votes have been counted in those elections."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opini...umn/986236002/

[SuperiorIronman]

Why should we be surprised?
Most of Trump's business ventures are disasters, why did anybody think he could handle a countries budget?

No matter what he "sweet" talks people into supporting him for;
-The Wall was never going to happen: Terrain doesn't work and Mexico will not fund it. The American people WILL NOT fund it. If you can't get people to fund public schooling, you cannot get people to fund a wall.
-The Pentagon will not seriously put out money for a military expenditure caught up in legal and ethical battles over how it works and who is using it. SpaceForce is a bad 80's cartoon in our current climate because it has no real applications as of now.
- The Government only has so much money and now with trade wars who the Hell wants to do business with us?
- The Pentagon wont put out money for a parade either especially seeing as its only purpose is to inflate the presidents ego and bring support from his base. Perhaps we could use that money to start business expenditures out in to the mid-west where nobody wants to go or is currently living, easily land to work (farms, milling, etc), but no I'm sure coal is fine.
- Speaking of which, nobody wants coal unless it's for a barbecue or its the winter so otherwise who is buying this?

Why is anybody surprised about this?

[PaulBullion]

It's not McCarthyism when you actually conspired with Russia.

I'm wondering how some nutso right wingers who still consider McCarthy a hero feel about that tweet.

We could ask Evan van Sciver.