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

[worstblogever]

It was one year ago today that “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled former Florida Congressman and current Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, who was narrowly elected in 2018. Back in 2012, in his first Congressional run, DeSantis ran as a Tea Party candidate trying to get whatever momentum was left out of that toxic movement, and earned a second term by raving about Benghazi as much as possible in 2014. By 2016, DeSantis was feeling cocky enough that he thought he would be able to fill the void left by Marco Rubio who was leaving his U.S. Senate seat open, and promised he wouldn’t run, so DeSantis made a run for U.S. Senate. It wasn’t going so well, with polls showing not just that DeSantis would be crushed in the general election by any Democratic candidate, but that he would finish not just behind David Jolly, but even behind Carlos Beruff, a complete lunatic and political outsider. When Rubio reneged on his promise to run for a second term for office, it really made DeSantis’ decision to instead run for re-election for his House seat look far less craven.

In 2018, DeSantis sought the office being vacated by Voldemort-cosplayer Rick Scott due to term limits. This is troubling to us here at CSGOPOTD because of various alliances that DeSantis has with… well, hatemongers. The Southern Poverty Law Center noted in April of 2017 that Ron DeSantis was teaming up with fellow Congressman Bill Johnson to form the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus, and in that endeavor, acting as its chairman, enlisted the help of Daniel Pipes, an anti-Islamic “activist” who has spent three decades demonizing Muslims in the political sphere, including proposing Muslim detention camps in the United States, and claiming that Muslims orchestrated the Oklahoma City bombing and not the anti-government militia lunatics who actually did it.

That relationship with a xenophobic bigot is not an outlier, by any stretch. Only a few weeks after the 2017 election, Ron DeSantis appeared at David Horowitz’s “Restoration Weekend”, a rather polite name for an event that is perhaps better classified as an Islamophobic hate rally, which that particular weekend, featured White Nationalist speakers like Steve Bannon, actual Neo-Nazi Sebastian Gorka, and Milo Yiannopoulos, who had already been revealed to have spoken several times in favor of pedophilia, as if his racist agenda wasn’t enough of a reason to be disgusted by him. And yet, there was DeSantis on stage, speaking alongside both Milo and Bannon, without any shame whatsoever. (We haven’t forgotten, Ron.)

So, we’ve established already that Ron DeSantis is allying himself with the Alt-Right/Neo-Nazi/White Nationalist wing of the GOP, and perhaps no greater evidence of that is the pathetic way he’s been trying to defend Donald Trump from the Mueller investigation. In August of 2017, he was actually trying to campaign within Congress to place a six-month timetable on the probe into any collusion between Trump and Russia. That has continued until the present day, when he’s been a frequent guest pundit on Fox News to try and taint the findings of the investigators further, claiming that the investigation was “infected with bias” from the start. Now, why would anyone trying to win office in 2018, during a Blue Wave year, do something so stupid?

Maybe you’d get the idea that DeSantis being proud of being arm-to-arm with those intolerant jackasses means he has some courageous streak… HA! No. Because the day after yet another tragic mass shooting in Florida, this time in Parkland, Florida, a local television reporter that wasn’t satisfied with DeSantis posting “thoughts and prayers” on Twitter put a microphone in front of the Florida Congressman to ask him if there would be any gun control measures he might support to prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future… and he cravenly ran away claiming he “had to go down” as if there was a vote about to happen.


His voting record as a Congressman showed him vote for Disaster Relief Funding for victims of Hurricane Sandy (but you know he would want disaster relief if a hurricane hit Florida, and he voted for the 2013 Government Shutdown and then the time came to vote to re-open the federal government, DeSantis voted to keep it closed. as well as a variety of anti-choice, pro-gun legislation through the years. DeSantis also voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act scores of times, and even voted to strip the protections granted by the Americans with Disabilities Act prior to leaving office in 2018.

Since becoming Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis has still been awful, releasing a statement to honor the victims of the Pulse shooting but neglecting to make any mention of it being a hate crime against the LGBTQ community, and then, blaming that omission on his own staff (you still signed it, Ron), Around the same time, DeSantis had a major purge where seven members of his staff quit on the same day (and no one is still sure if there’s a connection). Still, DeSantis is doing what he can to take credit for disaster relief funding coming to his state for Hurricane Irma, when as a Congressman, he voted against doing so for other states. The initial approval ratings after his election have mostly held steady, but the honeymoon is about to end, and in a hurry.

[shooshoomanjoe]

I can't say I'm happy that our tax dollars are going towards committing human rights abuses against women and children who were seeking asylum... and it's being done on American soil. No sir, I don't like it.

Apparently, this did start with Obama. Neither the left nor the right are treating these people humanely.

[Kirby101]

Finally:

Democrats Take Trump Tax Return Fight To Court

I don't trust the GOP stacked Courts to rule what the Law clearly states. And I don't trust Trump to follow the Law if he is ruled against.

[Kirby101]

Apparently, this did start with Obama. Neither the left nor the right are treating these people humanely.

This is half truth BS. Yes this did happen under Obama. That is because the there was an increase in the influx of families that the under funded (by the GOP) Border Patrol could not handle. Some children ended up in these facilities because they had no where else to put them. But they tried to move them out as soon as they could.
Trump is separating families as policy, and trying to make it as hard and inhumane as they can on the children.
Obama deserves some criticism, Trump deserves condemnation and imprisonment.

[Mister Mets]

CALL OFF THE HEARING EVERYBODY! Mets knows that the questions and answers won't cover anything new!

There are going to be questions about leads that aren't discussed in the report, Mets. Trump's business ties, for example. Or what the 38 investigations that were ongoing were. Just for, y'know, examples.

This isn't about what I said. This is what Mueller said.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...es/1270761001/

I hope and expect this to be the only time that I will speak about this matter. I am making that decision myself – no one has told me whether I can or should testify or speak further about this matter. There has been discussion about an appearance before Congress.

Any testimony from this office would not go beyond our report. It contains our findings and analysis, and the reasons for the decisions we made. We chose those words carefully, and the work speaks for itself.

The report is my testimony. I would not provide information beyond that which is already public in any appearance before Congress. In addition, access to our underlying work product is being decided in a process that does not involve our office. So beyond what I have said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further about the investigation or to comment on the actions of the Justice Department or Congress.

It is for that reason that I will not take questions here today.

[Kirby101]

The question of if Trump was not President, would he be indicted, yes or no, has not been answered.

[Mister Mets]

The question of if Trump was not President, would he be indicted, yes or no, has not been answered.

That's the main nuance. There seem to be two ways of looking at it. Were his statements about not being able to clear Trump, and that he'd say so if he did, a clue that if he would indict if he would could? Or is this a question he didn't consider because it wasn't part of his scope?

Part of the problem is that you keep making biased assumptions and asking misleading questions.

There's a world of difference between saying you want to win an election and claiming that defeating your political opponents is your number one priority -- especially when the nation is still dealing with the effects of a worldwide recession that your party created to begin with.

Even more so when said candidate repeatedly attempts to work with you "across the aisle" and your only goal is to obstruct his every move -- the goal of politicians should be to do the will of the American public as a whole, not to constantly put party over country as the Republicans do.

That said, it explains why you have no problem with your party routinely cheating in elections, suppressing the votes of "minorities" and blatantly subverting democracy via Russian influence in order to win, even if it means separating families and making (brown) children sleep on floors while being denied humanitarian medical treatment in order to motivate your "base" to vote for said party.

If you did, you wouldn't be sitting here trying to defend them by constantly trying to raise other "hypothetical" issues instead.

And I can't even take your arguments about considering "the bigger picture" seriously -- your party is literally ignoring Russian interference in our democracy and going full-bore white nationalist under Trump, while creating record deficits (again) and starting trade wars with centuries old allies as he supports and praises authoritarian dictators around the globe and spreads lies about climate change, and you're sitting here wondering why people don't want to bother discussing theoretical "limiting principles" with you while your party separates children from their families just to "deter" them from seeking asylum.

Here's an idea: why don't you try "limiting" the damage your party is doing to our nation -- and world -- by not voting for them anymore.

I remain reasonably sure that winning was the number one priority for Harry Reid, and that it remains the number one priority for Chuck Schumer. The politicians who believe their policies are right are going to believe that it is important to be be in a position to implement those, which does require winning. I'm keeping the focus on the question of how much politicians want to win nonpartisan although there is a counterpoint that it is okay for Party X to want to win because their policies are the right ones, but Party Y should focus on something else because their policies are wrong.

There are some arguments that something else might be the #1 priority, but that's largely a fig-leaf since the solution typically includes winning elections in order to deal with that priority. There isn't much of a difference between a Democrat saying that winning is their #1 priority and that repealing the tax cuts on the rich is their #1 priority because they need to win to make that happen. Politicians might also end up trading their #1 priority for a bunch of other priorities.

Even if politicians really want to win, there can be lines they shouldn't cross.

I haven't suggested that I have no problem with anything Republicans do, although I'm not going to address anything vague.

For example, you're going to have to get specific when you're talking about routinely cheating in elections, so I know what the benchmark is.
What policies are you referring to when you talk about suppressing the votes of minorities?
What Russian influence made the difference in the presidential race, and how should Republicans have responded?

With the migrant children, I take it for granted we're all in agreement that we should try to make things better for them, and improve conditions. But that discussion has to acknowledge that many of the migrants are essentially trespassers, and to consider the implications (How do we make sure that less of them make the dangerous journey in the future?) There are some fundamental arguments here. Those who are make concentration camp comparisons seem to suggest that these people have the same moral right to be in the country as the Japanese-Americans did to be in their homes during World War 2, and that the German Jews did to be in their homes during the Holocaust.

The bigger questions on immigration ultimately affect more people, so it is more important.

[worstblogever]

Apparently, this did start with Obama. Neither the left nor the right are treating these people humanely.

Do NOT believe any of the garbage in the Washington Examiner. They've actively been spreading lies about AOC during this. They're a conservative rag, and they're devolving into white nationalist tabloid at the moment.

[BeastieRunner]

The question of if Trump was not President, would he be indicted, yes or no, has not been answered.

That's the main nuance. There seem to be two ways of looking at it. Were his statements about not being able to clear Trump, and that he'd say so if he did, a clue that if he would indict if he would could? Or is this a question he didn't consider because it wasn't part of his scope?

He flat out said charges were not considered because the current DOJ standard says a sitting POTUS cannot be indicted.

He did not clear the POTUS.

It's really not nuanced or unclear. If he was innocent, Mueller would have said so. He did not.

I can't believe we have to have a hearing that will end with, "If the POTUS was not POTUS, he would be in jail, too," in order to get people to understand and start an impeachment inquiry.

I can't believe we have to have a Congressional hearing and listen to the same talking heads ask, "Yes or no: would Trump have been indicted if he was not POTUS." It's not friggin' middle school and you have to check a box to get an answer.

Trump was not cleared of any crimes, how does that not answer your question? Do people really need their hand held on this?

I swear modern conservationism renders people unable to understand basic language.

The only nuance here is that an ostrich with their head in the sand can see Trump aided interference, which was proven in the redacted report.

And he's doing it again by hiring Cambridge Analytical.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Finally:

Democrats Take Trump Tax Return Fight To Court

I don't trust the GOP stacked Courts to rule what the Law clearly states. And I don't trust Trump to follow the Law if he is ruled against.

Trump thinks that just because he's president, he has carte blanche (with the help of grossly complicit Republicans) to do anything he damn well pleases, including abject disobeying of the law. That's led people to suspect, and not without merit, that even if Trump loses the election next year, he'll simply ignore the results and refuse to leave. He knows that once his term is up and he's a private citizen again, he'll be hauled into court to face all those juicy criminal charges outlined in the Mueller Report that will send him straight to prison.

[kidfresh512]

Hickenlooper campaign in shambles
Senior staffers asked the former Colorado governor to drop out of the presidential race and run for Senate.

Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper’s senior team urged him last month to withdraw from the presidential race gracefully and run for Colorado’s Senate seat or pursue other opportunities, a source familiar with the situation told POLITICO.

The source said that the campaign only has about 13,000 donors, making it almost impossible to qualify for the next round of presidential debates in the fall. The campaign also only raised just over $1 million in the second quarter — about what he raised in the first 48 hours of his candidacy — and will likely run out of money completely in about a month.

He should drop out and run for senate. He can easily turn this into a graceful bow out and point to the need to take back the Senate from Trump ass kissers. The no shot at all guys need to focus where they can make a difference

[Theleviathan]

Hickenlooper campaign in shambles
Senior staffers asked the former Colorado governor to drop out of the presidential race and run for Senate.



He should drop out and run for senate. He can easily turn this into a graceful bow out and point to the need to take back the Senate from Trump ass kissers. The no shot at all guys need to focus where they can make a difference

Yup, I hope this happens soon with a bunch of these candidates.

[aja_christopher]

The politicians who believe their policies are right are going to believe that it is important to be be in a position to implement those, which does require winning.

And that's the root of the whole problem Mets -- you see winning as the only thing that really matters in that regard, which is why you'd rather sit here and argue than directly address just how corrupt and malicious your party is towards those who don't suit it's goals: certainly it's best to be in a position to implement your political policies, but how does that justify allowing for Republican election fraud, the suppression of minority voting rights, and Russian interference in our elections in what is meant to be a democratic system where everyone should have equal say in choosing our elected representatives?

There's no point in trying to reason with someone who sees the rights of minorities and the lives of children in terms of "cost" -- so long as Republican corruption, criminality and outright malicioiusness don't hurt you directly, it's obvious those issues aren't of any real concern to you.

"I haven't suggested that I have no problem with anything Republicans do, although I'm not going to address anything vague."

You haven't addressed it all -- all you do is keep asking hypothetical questions and making biased assumptions about "liberals" instead.

And even if you did, your party wouldn't, so there's no point in discussing it with you.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Hickenlooper campaign in shambles
Senior staffers asked the former Colorado governor to drop out of the presidential race and run for Senate.



He should drop out and run for senate. He can easily turn this into a graceful bow out and point to the need to take back the Senate from Trump ass kissers. The no shot at all guys need to focus where they can make a difference

Hickenlooper, Yang, the author, these people need to go as they’re just wasting everyone’s time since they have zero shot at even being competitive.

[kidfresh512]

'Help': Photos show hundreds of migrants squashed into cells, appealing for assistance

Eighty-eight males held in a cell with a maximum capacity of 41, some signaling prolonged detention to Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General staff, on June 12, 2019, at Border Patrol's Fort Brown Station. One man held up a handwritten sign that said "HELP. 40 DAY HERE".

Pictures from DHS itself back up everything that's been reported so far. For all the right wing pundits trashing Dems condemning this shit show.

88 grown men in a cell for 41? Where is the money per inmate being spent at?