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

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Failure to convict in the Senate is not exoneration, especially along partisan lines.

The Mueller report wasn’t either and half the country thinks he’s exonerated

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The Mueller report wasn’t either and half the country thinks he’s exonerated

Yeah, the "half" that could watch Trump gun down a troop of Girl Scouts on live TV in Times Square at high noon and, with a dismissive shrug, say the little jerks had it coming for pissing him off. In other words, there's absolutely NOTHING that can shake those people of their mindset that Trump is omnipotent and can do no wrong. Chances are they made up their minds long before Mueller started his investigation that it was all a witch hunt cooked up by butthurt Democrats to take down their fearless leader. Once again, IMO that the only way to get rid of the Orange Menace is to vote him out next year.

[Tendrin]

If Democrats do not impeach, they are effectively saying 'it's not that serious'. That's the issue. It's ceding ground. Sooner or later, they either have to say its serious, or say it's not.

We all know how serious it actually is.

[aja_christopher]

It's very serious -- it's not an exaggeration to say our democracy could be at stake.



"GOP blocks election security bills after Mueller testimony"

"Senate Republicans blocked two election security bills and a cybersecurity measure on Wednesday in the wake of former special counsel Robert Mueller warning about meddling attempts during his public testimony before congressional lawmakers.

Democrats tried to get consent to pass two bills that would require campaigns to alert the FBI and Federal Election Commission about foreign offers of assistance, as well as a bill to let the Senate Sergeant at Arms offer voluntary cyber assistance for personal devices and accounts of senators and staff.

But Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) blocked each of the bills. She didn't give reason for her objections, or say if she was objecting on behalf of herself or the Senate GOP caucus. A spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Under Senate rules, any one senator can ask for consent to pass a bill, but any one senator is able to object.

The floor drama comes after Mueller warned about election interference during his testimony before the House Intelligence Committee, saying Russia was laying the groundwork to interfere in the 2020 election "as we sit here."

“We are expecting them to do it again during the next campaign,” Mueller said."

https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-acti...ller-testimony

[aja_christopher]

"Attorney General William Barr orders first federal executions in nearly two decades"

"The federal government will resume executing death-row inmates after nearly two decades without doing so, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.



Attorney General William Barr directed the Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions of five inmates convicted of murder and other crimes. The executions have been scheduled for December 2019 and January 2020."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/25/will...o-decades.html

[Gray Lensman]

"Attorney General William Barr orders first federal executions in nearly two decades"

"The federal government will resume executing death-row inmates after nearly two decades without doing so, the Department of Justice announced on Thursday.



Attorney General William Barr directed the Bureau of Prisons to schedule the executions of five inmates convicted of murder and other crimes. The executions have been scheduled for December 2019 and January 2020."

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/07/25/will...o-decades.html

In the link one of the things that came up was "Trump wants death penalty for drug dealers" but I bet the ones in corner offices who are largely responsible for the opioid epidemic won't even see the inside of a cell, much less an executioner.

[Kirby101]

The Mueller report wasn’t either and half the country thinks he’s exonerated

More like a third. And those are votes aren't going to change. It is the other 2/3 that an impeachment will reach.

[shooshoomanjoe]

The Mueller report wasn’t either and half the country thinks he’s exonerated

I love how trump supporters make up statistics.

[aja_christopher]

In the link one of the things that came up was "Trump wants death penalty for drug dealers" but I bet the ones in corner offices who are largely responsible for the opioid epidemic won't even see the inside of a cell, much less an executioner.

Given Trump's call for the execution for the exonerated Central Park Five, he's already proven that his administration shouldn't be trusted with said powers.

And yeah, he does praise countries for giving the death penalty to drug dealers as well, like the Philippines and China.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/05/polit...lty/index.html

Let's also not forget this is a man who said the family members of suspected "terrorists" should be tortured and killed in pursuit of "justice".

Announced just one day after Mueller's live testimony, most likely in an effort to control the media cycle.

-----
"Trump urged the CIA to start arming its drones in Syria. “If you can do it in 10 days, get it done,” he said, according to two former officials familiar with the meeting.

Later, when the agency’s head of drone operations explained that the CIA had developed special munitions to limit civilian casualties, the president seemed unimpressed. Watching a previously recorded strike in which the agency held off on firing until the target had wandered away from a house with his family inside, Trump asked, “Why did you wait?” one participant in the meeting recalled.

For those with a moral compass, such a comment is obviously jarring, especially coming from a president. But for those who’ve covered Trump’s public positions, this isn’t too surprising.

In December 2015, near the height of the race for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, then-candidate Trump endorsed torturing detainees – even “if it doesn’t work” in producing valuable intelligence – simply because he saw it as a worthwhile thing to do.

He added soon after, “[T]he other thing is with the terrorists, you have to take out their families. When you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don’t kid yourself. But they say they don’t care about their lives. You have to take out their families.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...rists-families

[shooshoomanjoe]

Anyone read about this story? I still say someone in trump's team is publicly trolling him.

President Trump walked, beaming, onto the stage at Turning Point USA’s student summit in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday to loud applause from the attendees, as a huge image of the “Seal of the President of the United States” was projected on a screen behind him.

But there was something different about this seal. The national symbol was replaced by a two-headed eagle, and instead of arrows, in its claw was a clutch of golf clubs. The national motto — “E pluribus unum,” meaning “out of many, one” — was replaced by the Spanish phrase “45 es un títere”: “45 [designating Trump, as the 45th president] is a puppet.”

The fake seal was displayed for only a few seconds as Trump walked onstage, while the authentic one remained behind the president for his speech.

[PwrdOn]

If Democrats do not impeach, they are effectively saying 'it's not that serious'. That's the issue. It's ceding ground. Sooner or later, they either have to say its serious, or say it's not.

We all know how serious it actually is.

The Democrats always seem to overlook the extent to which politics operates on the the lizard brain level rather than any type of logic. Trying to suppress talk of impeachment in favor of focusing on 2020 just makes them look weak and hurts their election chances, while simultaneously boosting Trump's support with his base which can't get enough of all this "winning." And what happens if they don't win in 2020? Trying to impeach Trump then would certainly make them look like sore losers and would have even less chance of succeeding than it does now.

[aja_christopher]

Trying to impeach Trump then would certainly make them look like sore losers and would have even less chance of succeeding than it does now.

That's a matter of perspective -- there are many American citizens like myself who see it as an obligation given Trump's rampant disregard for law. Whether it's the politically savvy move is questionable, but there is no question that Trump has committed crimes both in and out of office, and Congress may be the only thing in the world that can properly investigate those crimes and fully reveal them to the public before 2020.

Many of you seem so focused on "beating Trump" that you're ignoring the fact that the American public deserves a full accounting of Trump's criminal activities and foreign interference in our elections -- regardless of "politics", and given Trump and the Republican party's legal obstruction, the impeachment process is likely the only way that will happen.

You don't stop criminality by overlooking it -- you stop it by taking a stand against it.

[BeastieRunner]

I love how trump supporters make up statistics.

Knight's not a Trumper ...

Here's fun stats for you this morning:

Trump lost 5 points in polls after yesterday from Fox, Reuters, Ipsos, and Econ/YouGov. He lost 15-20% of registers R voters, too, according to Pew and Gallop.

He's staring at nearly 60% disapprove again and trending down. Pew (the second largest polling numbers) has him at 63% disapprove now and Gallop (largest polling number) has him at 56% disapprove.

Trump has entered the "Nixon Slide" prior to Nixon's impeachment hearings with his first major loss of his own registered Republican voters.

But you go spike that football Mr. Trump. It appears you're losing your party's base.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

I love how trump supporters make up statistics.

I like how there are emotionally immature people who think that if someone doesn’t agree with them they must be a Trump supporter. There’s a reason why leading Democrats like Schiff who have been incredibly hard on Trump aren’t for impeachment. The numbers aren’t their in either the Senate or public opinion. It’s the majority of Democrats vs the majority of Republicans. Whether you like it or not, the opinion on this is split down partisan lines. Reality doesn’t agree with you and isn’t on your side here. Maybe also understand that just because want something doesn’t mean it’s the best course of action

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Knight's not a Trumper ...

Here's fun stats for you this morning:

Trump lost 5 points in polls after yesterday from Fox, Reuters, Ipsos, and Econ/YouGov. He lost 15-20% of registers R voters, too, according to Pew and Gallop.

He's staring at nearly 60% disapprove again and trending down. Pew (the second largest polling numbers) has him at 63% disapprove now and Gallop (largest polling number) has him at 56% disapprove.

Trump has entered the "Nixon Slide" prior to Nixon's impeachment hearings with his first major loss of his own registered Republican voters.

But you go spike that football Mr. Trump. It appears you're losing your party's base.

Let’s hope it stays that way. Right now Dems have the high ground on him between this and the attack on the Squad. There’s your momentum to keep building the snowball