All Purpose News and Politics Thread Part IV: The Center Cannot Hold

[Gray Lensman]

I’ve had so many arguments with fellow Democrats about this. I just don’t understand what they think the endgame of Impeachment would bring. McConnell is going to shoot down any chance of removal from office. Nearly 50% of the country has shown that they don’t care about facts or clear evidence of his crimes. If new information comes to light would McConnell and the Senate Republicans and Republican voters suddenly say “oh my god, you’re right. Trump is a criminal.” No they most certainly would not. About 10% of Americans are undecided at this point. These people don’t give a **** about Trump’s involvement with Russia or the Ukraine.

I hate having to defend myself as being “soft on Trump’s crimes.” I’m just a realist.

I prefer to wait a little and ramp up impeachment hearings during the election runup. Let the election cycle be dominated by Trump having to defend his crimes rather than simply tweeting out a new outrage to distract everyone.

Otherwise you are right - impeachment won't get past Moscow Mitch, who can actually control what evidence is presented to the Senate. The flip side is that by not at least doing something, Democrats lose any ability to say it's wrong, because silence implies consent. Hence why I think they should force this stuff to stay in the news cycle. Hearings can do that, because the news will otherwise move on to the next outrage in search of clicks and ratings if not forced to keep looking at one thing.

[Tendrin]

Democrats lose any ability to say it's wrong, because silence implies consent.

I think this is the most important part.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Whistleblower’s Complaint Is Make Or Break Moment On Impeachment

Democrats have big questions to answer related to Trump’s call with the Ukrainian president. I say, keep Trump's lawlessness in the headlines 24/7, and calling for impeachment hearings is the way to get that task done.

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Ilhan Omar Knocks Joe Biden: It’s Now ‘Very Clear’ He’s Not The One

The Minnesota congresswoman says the former VP doesn’t “fit into the kind of progress that we all want to see.” But, Biden remains first choice among voters, and, chances are backlash from the Ukraine kerfluffle could help him.

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GOP State Senator Runs Ad Saying She’s ‘Not Afraid To Shoot’ Gun Control Groups Down

Amanda Chase is facing backlash over the ad, which she said was a mistake. Oh, WBEEEEEEEE....!

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Trump ‘Doesn’t Have Skill Set Or Experience’ For China Deal, Fears Farm Union Head

Concerns emerge after Trump announces he doesn’t need a trade deal until after the 2020 election and that “we’re not being affected.” Trump doesn't have the patience or the intelligence to craft such an important deal either, so he's basically saying "**** it!" instead.

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Every Group Except Older Republicans Is Concerned About Climate Change

Most Americans want the U.S. to take a global leadership role on climate change, but only about a quarter think the country is doing so.

[JackDaw]

Most Americans want the U.S. to take a global leadership role on climate change, but only about a quarter think the country is doing so.

I suspect its one of those things where everybody wants to do "something about climate change"....as long as the "something" doesn't have any adverse impact on life style.

Foe example...practically every major film or music star that makes public statements on climate change wants "something done"...but must (of course) continue to jet all over the world, etc.

The something has to be the "government waving a magic wand" and life carry on as "normal"...

I wonder what reaction would be if government, for example, decreed everyone had a lifetime flight allowance...none transferable...once you used the quota, no more flights??

Pretty sure a lot of "right on green activists" would be queuing up to explain why scheme shouldn't apply to them...

[jetengine]

I suspect its one of those things where everybody wants to do "something about climate change"....as long as the "something" doesn't have any adverse impact on life style.

Foe example...practically every major film or music star that makes public statements on climate change wants "something done"...but must (of course) continue to jet all over the world, etc.

The something has to be the "government waving a magic wand" and life carry on as "normal"...

I wonder what reaction would be if government, for example, decreed everyone had a lifetime flight allowance...none transferable...once you used the quota, no more flights??

Pretty sure a lot of "right on green activists" would be queuing up to explain why scheme shouldn't apply to them...

Or you could create a new market. I'd sell 50% of my lifetime flight allowance to someone.

[Tendrin]

People complaining about people flying while talking about climate change has always annoyed me. You have to live in the world even if you want the world to be better.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Homeland Security joins the war on conservative terrorism.

DHS Warns Against Growing Threat Of White Supremacist Extremism Online

The Department of Homeland Security is sounding the alarm on the growing danger of white supremacy across the country, warning of the internet’s ability to serve as a meeting space and a breeding ground for nationalist extremism.

In a 37-page report called the Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence released Friday, the department emphasized the ease at which potential domestic terrorists can network, drawing a parallel to foreign threats.

“Similar to how ISIS inspired and connected with potential radical Islamist terrorists, white supremacist violent extremists connect with like-minded individuals online,” the report read.

“In addition to mainstream social media platforms, white supremacist violent extremists use lesser-known sites like Gab, 8chan, and EndChan, as well as encrypted channels. Celebration of violence and conspiracy theories about the ‘ethnic replacement’ of whites as the majority ethnicity in various Western countries are prominent in their online circles.”

[Tami]

Donald Trump vs. the United States of America




There are 34 more sentences ....

I wish this nightmare was over. Anyone crazy enough to support Trump should have a full-on psychiatric evaluation.

Fox News Poll Shows America Is ‘Exhausted’ And Wants Trump Gone

Donald Trump hasn’t even been in the White House for three years, but a new poll shows that America is already tired of his presidency.

According to a Fox News survey, the Trump administration has left 52 percent of the country feeling exhausted. Only 37 percent say this president has made them feel energized about politics.

[Tami]

Russian Defense Chief Says U.S. Could Cut Military Budget If It Stopped Attacking Other Nations

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has suggested that the "huge" U.S. military budget could be cut if American foreign policy was less aggressive.

In an interview with Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets published on Sunday, Shoigu said Russian armed forces were more concerned with defense of the country rather than force projection, and would prioritize weapons to level the playing field with the U.S. military.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has overseen a significant increase in the nation's military budget, seeking to modernize the armed forces and become a world leader in military technology. The country now has the sixth highest military expenditure in the world at some $61.4 billion in 2018, though it still lags far behind the U.S.'s $649 billion.

But Shoigu argued that Russian military spending is proportionate to the country's foreign policy goals. "The U.S. spends huge amounts of money on private military contractors, on aircraft carriers," he told the Moskovsky Komsomolets. "Does Russia really need five to ten aircraft carrier strike groups, considering that we do not intend to attack anyone?" he asked.

Moscow has repeatedly meddled in the domestic affairs of its neighboring nations in an attempt to maintain a Russian sphere of influence. In Georgia and Ukraine, most notably, this has taken the form of military action, which has left thousands dead.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published a profile about Steve Lonegan, the former mayor of Bogota, New Jersey who twice lost in the GOP Primary while running to be the governor of the Garden State, and failed candidate for U.S. Senate in the 2013 special election to replace the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. Lonegan gets offended by Spanish language advertising on billboards, and claimed he had handicap for running for office in New Jersey… he’s WHITE. He also touted himself as trustworthy on healthcare issues because he’s “callous and uncaring” and was opposed to the Affordable Care Act, saying, “I’d hate to see you get cancer, but that’s your problem, not mine.” He’s serious about his lack of concern for his fellow man… even going as far as to admit he wouldn’t request federal disaster aid for New Jersey after Hurricane Sandy. Lonegan also referred to Social Security as “a Ponzi Scheme”, claimed Mitt Romney was right about his comments about the 47 percent, and claimed that his opponent, Corey Booker, who was serving as mayor of Newark at the time, had done a bad enough job as mayor that the Passaic River was overflowing from corpses from shootings in the city. This levelheaded individual has not run for office since, however, he still made some headlines as a leader of New Jersey Republicans’ attempt to boot Donald Trump and avoid giving the GOP nomination. Like all political battles Lonegan seems to fight these days, he lost. We have no further updates on him at this time.

On this date in both 2015, and 2016, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" featured a profiles of the former U.S. Senator from Illinois, Mark Kirk, who as a member of the House, voted for the Terry Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Bill, voted to fight in the “War on Christmas” by passing legislation to recognize the importance of Christianity, and voted against equal pay measures like the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Kirk was widely criticized during his campaign for U.S. Senate, after being caught on more than one occasion exaggerating or misrepresenting his military service record to score more points with voters, including touting winning an award he never received, and that he was the only member of Congress to serve in Operation Iraqi Freedom when he was never deployed outside the United States. After returning from a long recuperation for a stroke, Kirk’s number of gaffes has skyrocketed, including his calls for the migrant children fleeing gang violence in Central America being held in the United States to be forced to undergo criminal background checks, sending out fund-raising letters warning that he needed help because First Lady Michelle Obama could be running against him in 2016 (she didn’t), and participating in the sabotage of nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran as one of the "47 traitors". In March of 2015, Sen. Kirk was discussing Congressional Democrats’ unwillingness to vote for an anti-human trafficking bill because it had harsh anti-abortion language in it (women would be forced to provide the burden of proof that they were raped while victims of human trafficking to receive any aid towards the cost of an abortion), in quite a hyperbolic way, comparing it to some members of Congress being unwilling to abolish slavery in the 1850s. He also was asked about fellow Senator Lindsay Graham’s presidential run, and gave his thoughts about how Graham, a rare bachelor running for president, was “a bro with no ho”. Mark Kirk had several thoughts on the Iran Nuclear Treaty, including that President Obama wanted “to get nukes to Iran” (quite the opposite, actually), while invoking Godwin’s Law by comparing the president to Neville Chamberlain, and Iran to Hitler’s Germany and that the Obama administration paid a $400 million “ransom” to Iran (which was actually the U.S.giving Iran access to bank assets they had in U.S. banks in 1979 that had been frozen for decades, and were returned without interest, thanks to shrewd negotiating), and in his hysterics, Sen. Kirk called President Obama the “drug dealer in chief”. Kirk ended up losing his Senate seat, Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who he stupidly accused of “not standing up for our veterans” even though her voting record actually shows that she stands up for our veterans more than most in Congress, if not one of the best supporters of veterans in the House and that she herself is a veteran who if she doesn’t “stand” for veterans it’s because she literally because she lost two legs during her service in the Iraq War (the one Mark Kirk voted for as a member of the House) in a helicopter crash. So… yeah, he lost, and has already faded from relevance.

It was on this date in 2017 that "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" profiled Brian McDowell, a candidate for New Jersey State Assembly in 2016 who wanted to represent that state’s 1st District. His qualifications for office? He was a former contestant on Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice”. Less than a month after McDowell filed paperwork to run for office, video of him emerged shamelessly hitting on a woman, telling her, “Let me tell you right now. You should f*** me. It would really be good. Listen, you never know.” Republican Party officials in New Jersey were immediately looking to push back and get McDowell off the ballot before he embarrassed them any further (and this was without knowing that Donald Trump’s “Access Hollywood” tape would be dropping in a few months). McDowell wasn’t about to just surrender, but he never exactly gave an apology, instead making a statement that could best be classified as “making things worse”, saying, “There are human errors and even Jesus dropped the cross three times. I’m not running to be the pope. I’m running to make New Jersey more affordable.” Without any support from the New Jersey GOP, Brian McDowell finished third in the GOP Primary for the seat in the state assembly, getting only 1750 votes for 16% of the vote and returned to working in real estate with Island Realty Group. It doesn’t seem like he’ll be getting into politics anywhere soon, seeing he’ll always be immediately linked to the insane presidency of Donald Trump no matter what he does.

[Tendrin]

Russian Defense Chief Says U.S. Could Cut Military Budget If It Stopped Attacking Other Nations

Good old Russia, trolling away.

[worstblogever]

It was one year ago today that “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Leah Vukmir, who served in the Wisconsin State Assembly from 2002 through 2010, taking over for now Gov. Scott Walker’s seat in the Wisconsin House of Representatives when he ran in the special election for Milwaukee County Executive, and then using the momentum of the Tea Party Wave in 2010 to jump over to the Wisconsin State Senate where she remained until 2018. Over that time, Vukmir has also finagled her way onto the goddamn Board of Directors of ALEC itself, because why funnel money to legislators to push your garbage legislation around the country when you can just buy elections and put your own people in their place, right?

And you can see the mindset of a die-hard from ALEC in her voting record, from trying in 2006 to pass a constitutional amendment to define marriage as between one man and one woman, consistently voting against bills aimed at poviding access to emergency contraception to victims of rape and sexual assault, co-sponsoring SB 167, a bill aimed at reducing the legal age of those who can carry firearms to 10, as well as voting for all manner of voter suppression tactics that GOP legislators get behind.

Over the course of her very partisan career in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Vukmir has actually been booed by the collective gallery at times, most famously back in 2009 when she tried accusing two colleagues who were proponents of medical marijuana of “using dying cancer patients to further a secret agenda of legalization”. Which, frankly, deserves all the boos.

More recently, however, Vukmir’s name has come up during the investigation into corruption by Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the Wisconsin State Assembly because she has tried reframing the investigation of potential bribery as something in which she is the victim. That’s right, Vukmir has handled the investigation into her own potential corruption by demanding the investigators be jailed. Truly, a creature of the Trump era, isn’t she?

We’ll add that just this past Christmas, Vukmir posted an op-ed in the Wisconsin Capitol Times where she expressed her desire to win the non-existent “War on Christmas”, but also added that she “sincerely doubts those celebrating Hanukkah would take offense to being wished Merry Christmas” in it, which is… kind of presumptuous to speak for a whole religious minority that you’re not a part of, y’know?

Well, this brings us to Leah Vukmir’s campaign to challenge Sen. Tammy Baldwin for her seat in the U.S. Senate in 2018, and boy howdy, has she been f***-bonkers koo-koo in campaign ads from the jump. She opened up by airing a heartwarming ad portraying herself as supporting families… haha, just kidding, her first ad was Vukmir sitting in a poorly lit room with a gun sitting on the table, talking directly to the viewer as if she might shoot them if they didn’t vote for her. Why it was on the table… who knows?

But okay, okay. Botching your first ad isn’t a sign you’re not ready for the big stage, she assuredly did better in take two, right? HA! No. Vukmir aired an ad where she portrayed herself on “Team America” (apologies to the film), and claimed that Sen. Tammy Baldwin was on “Team Terrorist”, showing an image of Baldwin superimposed to be standing next to 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Seriously, that’s the sort of gutless campaign tactic you usually only see in movie parodies or on episodes of Family Guy.

Mercifully, Vukmir lost to Tammy Baldwin in 2018, and with the recent announcement that Jim Sensebrenner would be retiring after four decades in office, she was very briefly rumored to be considering taking a shot at his seat, but she confirmed she is not running for Congress in 2020. She’s going to be instead, try to influence conservative policy at the National Taxpayers Union… And we hope that she continues not running for any office and slowly fades from relevance. At this time, we would like to wish her our finest “Good Riddance” greetings.

[Tami]

Who needs America?

China approves wheat, soy imports from Russia

(Reuters) - China has approved wheat imports from the Russian region of Kurgan, the Chinese customs office said on Friday, bringing Russia a step closer to its goal of dramatically increasing grain exports.

It also approved soybean imports from all parts of Russia, the General Administration of Customs said in a separate statement on its website, having all but halted U.S. soy imports as the trade dispute between Beijing and Washington deepened.

There goes the American Farmer's biggest customer. What the Trump Administration doesn't understand about Tariffs, if they are not done in concert with other nations, they are virtually worthless.

[JackDaw]

People complaining about people flying while talking about climate change has always annoyed me. You have to live in the world even if you want the world to be better.

You also have to make changes if you really do want world to get better..

Let’s assume climate change is primarily driven by relentless growth of human population, and understandable desire of people to improve material living standards...particularly understandable in those many areas of world where standards are way below USA standards.

If you regard limits on flights as unacceptable...you can hardly expect anybody else to give up their own luxuries.

It’s all back to “magic wand time”...

[jetengine]

You also have to make changes if you really do want world to get better..

Let’s assume climate change is primarily driven by relentless growth of human population, and understandable desire of people to improve material living standards...particularly understandable in those many areas of world where standards are way below USA standards.

If you regard limits on flights as unacceptable...you can hardly expect anybody else to give up their own luxuries.

It’s all back to “magic wand time”...

The obvious answer is to increase public transport and business having their own mini bus system with a restructuring of shifts accordingly.