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

[BeastieRunner]

Judge ruled against Manafort. Said he lied about concealing Russian contacts.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Says everything, doesn't it?

Says one HELL of a lot! Speaking of Sean Hamhocks:

Sean Hannity Comes Up With A New Way To Describe His Show’s ‘Journalism’

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

Anderson Cooper: Trump Has Failed At The One Thing He Said He Was Best At

The CNN host pointed out that the president’s “record in the private sector is riddled with ill-fated deals.” Ill-fated deals, a polite way of saying fuck-ups.

**********

Jake Tapper Points Out The Absurd Hypocrisy Of Trump Lambasting Ilhan Omar

The Minnesota congresswoman apologized this week for comments Democratic leaders called anti-Semitic. I watched that live at the gym. Kudos to CNN for pointing out what a two-faced asshat Trump is.

**********

White Supremacist Gets Life In Prison For Killing Black Man With A Sword

“We have too often treated these crimes as something less than other kinds of terrorism,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. Will Trump pardon this "fine man"?

**********

Science Marks Its Return To The House Science Committee

The panel’s longtime chair, Rep. Lamar Smith, had repeatedly attacked scientists and pushed climate misinformation. Those days are over. Excellent news!

**********

Trump Confidant Tom Barrack Apologizes After Appearing To Defend Jamal Khashoggi Murder

“Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal or worse,” the former chair of Trump’s inauguration committee had said.

[numberthirty]

Because it largely went under the radar...

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2...on-cheerleader

Rahm Emanuel’s Non-Apology Apology for Being a School Privatization Cheerleader

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" ran a profile of Greg Collett, a three-time losing candidate for the Idaho State Senate who has the chutzpah to campaign against the Affordable Care Act and government being involved with insurance while simultaneously having his ten children on Medicaid. He responded to criticism for this from both the right, and the left, by going online to cite Mormon doctrine to defend his stunning hypocrisy. Not to be limited to kooky on just one issue, Collett also claims that "public education is one of the planks of the Communist Manifesto". After quickly making himself the butt of many jokes, he faded from view in Idaho politics.



In 2016, 2017, as well as in 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published its profiles of Missouri State Senator Andrew Koenig (who should still not be confused with the actor who played Boner on the TV show "Growing Pains" and then would eventually take his own life in 2010.)In his nine years in the Missouri state legislature, Koenig has been involved in some of the dumbest efforts that body has seen in that time frame, first as one of the co-sponsors of HB 283, Missouri's "Birther Bill" back in 2011, hanging out with Orly Taitz and later Koenig also supported a bill to prohibit compliance with the United Nations Agenda 21 environmental treaty a few years ago, apparently because he's another one of those conservatives who believe it's a secret plot for global domination. In May 2014, that Koenig sponsored HB 1587, a bill to prevent teachers from misinforming students about "scientific controversies," specifically citing "the theory of biological and hypotheses of chemical evolution" as controversial. That got him mentioned on the Colbert Report... but believe it or not, that's not the only time Koenig was raked over the coals by Colbert, as he also did in 2012 for trying to place a ban on school teachers from talking about being gay, at all.

Hell, Koenig's response to the civil unrest in Ferguson, Missouri after the shooting death of Michael Brown was to vote for a bill to make it easier for police officers to declare their use of deadly force was justified. But don't worry, he doesn't want the police state to get to restrictive, as he also put out a nullification bill that would prohibit Missouri law enforcement from enforcing federal firearms laws. Speaking of nullification, Koenig is a huge fan, because he also co-sponsored and voted for legislation to try and have Missouri prohibit implementation of the Affordable Care Act, apparently showing he doesn't know how the Civil War started, but thinking fighting against socialized healthcare is worth that kind of conflict happening again. To this day, Andrew Koenig still continues to ignore basic facts to push forth partisan bills, like how after the Planned Parenthood videos were debunked was strategically edited, and widely misleading frauds by a pro-life group, he still insisted on trying to create legislation to assure that any fetal remains are destroyed in an incinerator, rather than be used for stem cell research, or any other scientific endeavor, or perhaps even allowing investigators to just perform surprise inspections of clinics whenever they want without a warrant, because the 4th Amendment shouldn't apply to them. And you think he would know Planned Parenthood was found innocent of any wrongdoing, considering he led the witch hunt by chairing the Missouri House Committee that was looking for any kind of evidence they could to justify that. He’s also co-sponsored legislation to create stricter Voter Identification laws and legislation to attempt to drug test people on welfare. Over the past year as a legislator, Koenig continued pushing for even more strict Voter ID legislation, and made another attempt at getting a ban on fetal tissue donation passed.

In February of 2017, Koenig made a fool of himself after he took to the floor of the Missouri House to speak in defense of a transphobic bathroom bill in the state legislature aimed at public school children, and argued:

"Kids say funny things."'Oh, when I grow up I want to be a dog,' or who knows what. But that doesn’t mean that I turn around and try to cultivate that and say, ‘Yes, you can be a dog. Kids, in play, they say different things. They say, 'I want to be a spaceship.' Does that mean that we should say something like that and affirm that?"

It was at that point that Dr. Sharon Dunski Vermont testified and handed Koenig his ass for not knowing the difference between a transgendered teen and a child playing pretend.

In the summer of 2017, Koenig sponsored SB 5, an anti-abortion TRAP law aimed at closing all of the abortion clinics in Missouri. Andrew Koenig, by all of our estimations, remains a sea-worthy douche canoe. He has spent most of the past year trying to pass whatever bills he can to cut the corporate tax rate in Missouri, as if the angry ghost of Grover Norquist was coming for him (which would really be strange, given Norquist isn’t dead).

Unfortunately for the people of Missouri, Koenig’s term will last to at least 2020, and it will be interesting to see how many laws he submits in the next two years that will get overturned by the courts if they don’t fail outright. It’s going to at least be a number greater than zero, of this, we’re positive.

[Tendrin]

William Barr expected to be confirmed as attorney general Thursday

William P. Barr is likely to be confirmed Thursday as the U.S. attorney general, putting him in command of the Justice Department at one of the most politically charged moments in its history.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.991c72c945ad

The Democrats must be sweating bullets at the likely confirmation of Barr.

The entire country should.

[Kirby101]

William Barr expected to be confirmed as attorney general Thursday

William P. Barr is likely to be confirmed Thursday as the U.S. attorney general, putting him in command of the Justice Department at one of the most politically charged moments in its history.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...=.991c72c945ad

The Democrats must be sweating bullets at the likely confirmation of Barr.

Why would they be. Trump has almost exclusively nominated corrupt, deplorable people to posts. Do you think the Democrats expected anything different? And as bad as Barr will be, h is a step up from the current scam artist masquerading as AG. And probably no worse than Sessions.

As long as he keeps his hands off the Mueller probe.

[Kevinroc]

Then do not worry, as long as there is a remote chance that the Senate will deny the nomination of Barr.

Barr is going to be confirmed. Nobody should have any illusions about that.

[worstblogever]

Meanwhile, Fox News decided to ban advertising that they'd been airing for an Oscar-nominated, Anti-Nazi documentary because they feel it's "not appropriate for their viewers".

They've aired ads for Dinesh D'Souza's films, and considered that anti-Islamic content of those just fine. But when you start warning folks about the history of American Nazis and the rise of fascism while Hannity's on... HOW DARE YOU.

This would be a good time to share that gif of Laura Ingraham throwing a Sieg Heil salute at the 2016 RNC.

[Michael Watkins]

Jake Tapper Points Out The Absurd Hypocrisy Of Trump Lambasting Ilhan Omar

The Minnesota congresswoman apologized this week for comments Democratic leaders called anti-Semitic. I watched that live at the gym. Kudos to CNN for pointing out what a two-faced asshat Trump is.

the people who need to hear it don't watch CNN.

[Iron Maiden]

Why would they be. Trump has almost exclusively nominated corrupt, deplorable people to posts. Do you think the Democrats expected anything different? And as bad as Barr will be, h is a step up from the current scam artist masquerading as AG. And probably no worse than Sessions.

As long as he keeps his hands off the Mueller probe.

Robert Mueller and William Barr have been friends for decades

I have known Bob Mueller for 30 years,” Barr said. “We worked closely together throughout my previous tenure at the Department of Justice under President Bush. We’ve been friends since. And I have the utmost respect for Bob and his distinguished record of public service. And when he was named special counsel, I said his selection was ‘good news’ and that, knowing him, I had confidence he would handle the matter properly. And I still have that confidence today.”

William Barr and Robert Mueller have been friends for decades; Their wives attend Bible study together; Mueller has attended Barr’s daughters’ weddings, per Lindsey Graham after his conversation with Barr.

[Malvolio]

Says one HELL of a lot! Speaking of Sean Hamhocks:

Sean Hannity Comes Up With A New Way To Describe His Show’s ‘Journalism’

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

Anderson Cooper: Trump Has Failed At The One Thing He Said He Was Best At

The CNN host pointed out that the president’s “record in the private sector is riddled with ill-fated deals.” Ill-fated deals, a polite way of saying fuck-ups.

**********

Jake Tapper Points Out The Absurd Hypocrisy Of Trump Lambasting Ilhan Omar

The Minnesota congresswoman apologized this week for comments Democratic leaders called anti-Semitic. I watched that live at the gym. Kudos to CNN for pointing out what a two-faced asshat Trump is.

**********

White Supremacist Gets Life In Prison For Killing Black Man With A Sword

“We have too often treated these crimes as something less than other kinds of terrorism,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance. Will Trump pardon this "fine man"?

**********

Science Marks Its Return To The House Science Committee

The panel’s longtime chair, Rep. Lamar Smith, had repeatedly attacked scientists and pushed climate misinformation. Those days are over. Excellent news!

**********

Trump Confidant Tom Barrack Apologizes After Appearing To Defend Jamal Khashoggi Murder

“Whatever happened in Saudi Arabia, the atrocities in America are equal or worse,” the former chair of Trump’s inauguration committee had said.

Hannity says his show is like a "whole newspaper?" That shows how out of touch he is. He thinks people still read newspapers.

[KOSLOX]

Hannity says his show is like a "whole newspaper?" That shows how out of touch he is. He thinks people still read newspapers.

It's a lot like the Enquirer, I guess.

[Gray Lensman]

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/...tion-vote.html

54 senators including three Democratic senators vote to confirm Barr! Let's see how long Attorney General Barr lasts in office. He may be friends with Mr. Mueller but the problem is how long Barr will stay on President Trump's good side.

My money is on the first time he puts the law above Trump's desires.

Moderate Dems voting for a guy who has held an office before isn't surprising to me. That Schumer was able to limit it to only 3 is pretty surprising, but I bet most of them are going to be critical of anyone Trump nominates (I'm more surprised anyone with even a halfway decent rep would be willing to work for him).

[Kirby101]

He'll last only if he suppresses the Mueller Report and turns over everything Muller has to Trump's lawyers.
That is why he got the job.

[PaulBullion]

Mitchald TrumpConnel will declare a national emergency.