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

[mogwen]

I just know people are going to find ditches full of bodies one day, and absolutely nobody is going to be surprised where they came from.
And a distressingly large number of people will cheer.

That or disappeared in a sex ring, that's a bad habit for some GOP Rep!

[Iron Maiden]

Why is this allowed to continue? Since they can't even get Hope Hicks to answer a single question and Felix Sater overslept and didn't show up for his scheduled hearing Friday because he "overslept" (really??), Congress should start investigating ICE. OR should this be done at the local level?

[Mister Mets]

What I don't get is that the far right were making comments online on how Obama was going to institute some emergency so he can stay in office. I don't know why they thought that but they don't seem to have any problems with trump doing this.

Most get that Trump is joking. Some might think it's okay because they really Trump. For them, the problem with the idea that Obama was going to institute some emergency so he can stay in office wasn't about term limits but about not liking Obama as a President.

I'd imagine many on the left would be happy with some kind of elimination of presidential term limits, since Obama would probably do better running for a third term than anyone else running for a first term.

[Tendrin]

Most get that Trump is joking. Some might think it's okay because they really Trump. For them, the problem with the idea that Obama was going to institute some emergency so he can stay in office wasn't about term limits but about not liking Obama as a President.

I'd imagine many on the left would be happy with some kind of elimination of presidential term limits, since Obama would probably do better running for a third term than anyone else running for a first term.

Yeah, we were so happy with the idea that we pushed for it for him and Bill Clinton. Oh, wait. No we $#$$3ing didn't.

Trump's 'jokes' aren't really joking, Mets, you ought to know this by now. 'Jokes' are how ideas get mainstreamed. 'Jokes' are how they read the room.

[Gray Lensman]

Yeah, we were so happy with the idea that we pushed for it for him and Bill Clinton. Oh, wait. No we $#$$3ing didn't.

Trump's 'jokes' aren't really joking, Mets, you ought to know this by now. 'Jokes' are how ideas get mainstreamed. 'Jokes' are how they read the room.

Exactly - It's Schrodinger's douchebaggery, although Schrodinger's tyranny might be a better descriptor. If the idea is panned, it's a joke. If it is supported, it's something else.

[SquirrelMan]

I just know people are going to find ditches full of bodies one day, and absolutely nobody is going to be surprised where they came from.
And a distressingly large number of people will cheer.

Yes... I saw an infuriating tweet with a screencap of dozens of white men giving those heartbreaking stories the grinning reaction smiley on facebook. It's hard to accept that there is so much evil in the world, but there is.

[PaulBullion]

Can we play "caption this" on this thread? I mean, it is "all purpose"?

"Not feeling the Clyburn."

[PaulBullion]

Most get that Trump is joking. Some might think it's okay because they really Trump. For them, the problem with the idea that Obama was going to institute some emergency so he can stay in office wasn't about term limits but about not liking Obama as a President.

I'd imagine many on the left would be happy with some kind of elimination of presidential term limits, since Obama would probably do better running for a third term than anyone else running for a first term.

Mets, have you become any closer to registering as an independent after reading about the lice comb?

[JCAll]

Most get that Trump is joking. Some might think it's okay because they really Trump. For them, the problem with the idea that Obama was going to institute some emergency so he can stay in office wasn't about term limits but about not liking Obama as a President.

I'd imagine many on the left would be happy with some kind of elimination of presidential term limits, since Obama would probably do better running for a third term than anyone else running for a first term.

Obama would definitely win, but a lot of Democrats were (and still are) disappointed in Obama.`

[PaulBullion]

Today we'll find out if democracy still has a pulse in Turkey, as Istanbul goes back to the polls for a "do over" of the mayoral election Erdogan's candidate had narrowly lost.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Where’s Waldo? Oregon On The Lookout For AWOL Republican Politicians

State Republicans still on the lam to sabotage vote on historic climate change bill. Exactly what the flying **** is going on here?

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Joe Biden Is Bad At Politics

Why do Democratic Party leaders keep backing bad candidates? Because the party is desperate for someone, ANYONE who can defeat Trump, and because voters have so far clamored for Biden according to early polls.

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Trump Hits Pause On ICE Plan To Raid Homes Of Undocumented Families

The raids were expected to begin before dawn on Sunday. Dolt45 played chicken with cities refusing to play along with the expected raids....and Trump blinked.

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Aghast Twitter Foes Slam DOJ Attorney Who Argued Against Soap, Beds For Migrant Kids

“Sarah Fabian! Sarah Fabian! Your room in hell is ready,” snaps one critic.

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George Conway Warns ‘Hypocritical’ GOP To Take Rape Accusation Against Trump Seriously

Republicans should be just as incensed as they were about accusations against Bill Clinton, writes Kellyanne Conway’s husband. But, they're not. Republicans won't say **** about Trump being an unrepentant horndog, and everyone knows it.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of the current U.S. House Representative from New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District, Christopher Smith, who is currently serving in his 19th term in office, and who we gave praise for his work in stopping international child sex trafficking. That however, does not change the fact that Smith is one of the worst anti-abortion zealots in our entire government, and has been linked to "7 Mountains" Dominionist groups of Fundamentalists who believe Christians are destined to take over all of American life. He has compared abortion to the Holocaust, and referred to it as "child slaughter" and prior to the 2012 election as well as in 2015 said that Barack Obama is “the abortion president” who has promoted “radically pro-abortion” people to the government who are promoting “evil” with an “anti-child, anti-woman mentality.” Not surprisingly, whenever a controversial pro-life bill hits the floor of the House, Rep. Smith is usually a sponsor or co-sponsor, including Personhood legislation, and attempts to redefine the definition of "rape" by doing things like classifying if it's "forcible" rape or not. When the Center for Medical Progress released their fraudulent video to frame Planned Parenthood (which Smith refers to PP as “Child Abuse, Inc”) in 2015, Smith still didn't hesitate to fire off one of the most unhinged press releases when the story first hit, graphically describing "crushing babies" and accusing Planned Parenthood supposedly selling "baby body parts". (Which were the exact things the mass shooter at the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood was rambling about… so nice use of stochastic terror triggers there, Rep. Smith! As extreme as he is on the issue of abortion, he's also rather appalling on the issue of LGBT rights, not just being opposed to gay marriage, but trying to argue that homosexual rights are not human rights, and going with Rep. Trent Franks to the United Nations to demand they not give recognition to the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, siding with nations against them like Egypt, Angola, Burundi, China, Pakistan, Qatar, Russia and Sudan. (In all those countries but China, LGBT people can be jailed, fined, or whipped.) Nothing like allying yourself with the world’s classiest countries to deny rights to gays, right?

Christopher Smith was still re-elected to a TWENTIETH term in 2018 with 55% of the vote, and he has returned to Washington to be terrible to women and the LGBTQ community:

• January 23rd, 2019: Rep. Smith voted against HR 648, because he was gleeully enjoying the longest government shutdown in history.
• February 28th, 2019: Christopher Smith votes against HR 1112, a bill which would have required universal background checks on all firearm purchases, and close the gun show loophole.
• March 7th, 2019: Smith votes against HR 183, a resolution to condemn anti-Semitism as a hateful extension of intolerance.
• March 14th, 2019: Rep. Smith votes against HJR 46, which sane members of Congress voted for to reject Donald Trump’s “national emergency” regarding the U.S. border and his attempts to reallocate funds for a border wall without Congressional approval.
• April 4th, 2019: Christopher Smith is one of 158 Republicans who choose to vote against the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, likely because they feel the 2nd Amendment remaining absolute is more important than preventing people with a history of domestic abuse from owning a firearm (which statistics show, makes them more likely to use those firearms against women in their lives).
• June 4th, 2019: Smith votes against the Dreamers Act, because he’s too xenophobic and partisan to care about immigration reform.

Again, we want to be clear. Congressman Chris Smith has done a great deal of good with the office he has held for 39 years. His work in preventing human trafficking is commendable. He has, in the past few years, argued for a permanent renewal of the Zadroga Act. But when it comes to women's rights and LGBTQ rights... well, those are a whole other story. He’s still been yelling his head off about Planned Parenthood and calling them “Child Abuse, INC” when he speaks in front of religious right groups. However, outside of “safe places” where he panders to his own element, Smith has spent the better part of three years hiding from his constituents in New Jersey’s 4th District like a coward rather than face them regarding a lot of his votes, and they were forced to host a town hall without him in February 2017. Of course, Rep. Smith hasn’t hosted a town hall in over a quarter century, so there’s that. This might be a sign that they should be in the market for a new Congressman. And apparently, people are less than thrilled, as protests took place at one of Smith’s fundraisers in March of 2017. So it’s okay to meet with your campaign donors, but not the actual people you represent. Got it.

[aja_christopher]

She's saying what I want to hear -- I want to see Trump, and any other complicit Republicans, in jail for their crimes.

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"Harris: Justice Dept. 'Would Have No Choice' But To Prosecute Trump After Presidency"

https://www.npr.org/2019/06/08/73094...ter-presidency

[Tami]

President Trump's full, unedited interview with Meet the Press

WATCH: Trump says he’s not prepared to lose in 2020 #MTP #IfItsSunday Trump: “I'll say something that, again, is controversial. There were a lot of votes cast [in 2016] that I don't believe.”

Trump will do anything to win, and I mean Anything.

Trump defends Obamacare lawsuit, blames John McCain for failed health care efforts #MTP #IfItsSunday Chuck Todd: “What makes you think you're going to get [a health care law passed] this time?” Trump: “We had a negative vote from John McCain.”

Trump is so simpleminded.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Joe Biden Is Bad At Politics

Why do Democratic Party leaders keep backing bad candidates? Because the party is desperate for someone, ANYONE who can defeat Trump, and because voters have so far clamored for Biden according to early polls.

It's not desperation, it's about who they know and he's the biggest high profile Dem in the nation + he's linked with Obama. And a lot of this is not deep dived into his real political positions and history, which has only now become an issue to be focused on in the media.