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

[Tendrin]

True. That national average only applies to the popular vote, not the Electoral College. And I don't think I need to remind anyone of the difference between the two.

Dems holding the House is, of course, promising. And more can be gleaned by the numbers of the GOP reps heading for the exits.

[Celgress]

I do feel sorry for his political opponents if Trump survives this (as I still think is very likely all things considered) and holds onto the Senate (might even retake the House) and Supreme Court. He'll be out for blood and without fear of reelection who knows what crazy shit he'll do.

[Celgress]

Dems holding the House is, of course, promising. And more can be gleaned by the numbers of the GOP reps heading for the exits.

The thing about most Reps is they are cowards. Very few of them have spines. They are deathly affraid of controversy or anything which threanes their own seats. Sometimes this works for good sometimes for ill.

[Gray Lensman]

A distinct possibility, if not probability. Trump survived the Mueller Report, and he’ll tiptoe past this minefield as well. The ONLY way to get rid of the Orange Menace will be at the voting booth next year.

IF Republicans turn on Trump, and that is a big if, it will be almost all at once. That's how it went down for Nixon - he had the full support of the party, until he suddenly didn't. It will look inevitable only in hindsight.

The big sign for me is will anyone who is both A) Up for reelection in 2020 and B) In a solid red state, turn on him. If that happens we can wonder if the tide has truly turned.

[PaulBullion]

Those texts between Trump diplomats seeking dirt from Ukraine? They were sent not on State Dept email but on WhatsApp.

So at least Zuckerberg was in the loop.

[SquirrelMan]

So far I haven't much or any experience with those.

Here are a few accounts that are either bots or full time activists (who knows who pays them) that do nothing but post anti-Democrat, anti media and pro-Trump stuff. My advice would be to look for some tweets that clearly show "targeted harassment" or violate the rights of a protected group (antisemitic, racist, homophobic) and report them. Then report the entire account as "it is a fake account."

https://twitter.com/Copacabana71
https://twitter.com/Twig_76/with_replies
https://twitter.com/Rheonny/with_replies
https://twitter.com/RedWalrus1/with_replies
https://twitter.com/mississ86472404 (She thinks the word "Demon-Rats" is soooo clever)
https://twitter.com/SteveKEspinoza2/with_replies
https://twitter.com/BlutoActual/with_replies
https://twitter.com/RobertBelfi/with_replies
https://twitter.com/JoJoFaiman/with_replies

If you want to find more, just look at the follower lists of those accounts.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

2nd Whistleblower May Come Forward On Trump’s Ukraine Call

Another official with more information on the White House’s Ukraine plans is thinking about filing a whistleblower complaint, The New York Times reports. Caramel Caligula won't like that, to which I say....GOOD!

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China Says It Won’t Meddle In American Affairs, ‘Trusts’ U.S. Can Run Itself

The Chinese foreign minister turned down Trump’s request to investigate Joe Biden. Oh, that's delicious! Where will Trump turn to for help in digging up dirt on Joe Biden?

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A Running List Of Republicans Criticizing Trump’s Ukraine Scandal

Republicans are not as unified over the controversy as the president is insisting. I for one find that surprising, considering the Borg-like hive mind mindset of Republicans.

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‘The President Is A Traitor,’ Declares Former Pal Anthony Scaramucci

“I hear rank criminality. I hear pressure on diplomats coming from above to do things that are actually a revocation of the Constitution,” the former aide says. Scary Tony is really unloading on Trump.

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CNN Refuses To Air 2 Trump Campaign Ads Over ‘Demonstrably False’ Claims

The ads decried impeachment as a “coup” and bashed the network’s anchors as “media lapdogs.” I'd love for more network to follow CNN's example.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, as well as 2018, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of the U.S. House Representative from Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, David Schweikert, a former real estate vulture capitalist arch-conservative who consistently votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act, defund Planned Parenthood, fails to understand how the debt ceiling works, referred to the 2013 Government Shutdown as "my idea of fun", and was once recorded on video high-fiving Rep. Ben Quayle on the floor of the house after denying a pay increase to active duty soldiers fighting the War on Terror. If that isn't tacky enough, he also showed a lack of character when he then turned around after redistricting and ran against Quayle in the 2012 GOP Primary in Arizona's 6th District, instead of the 5th, because he preferred how gerrymandered it was compared to where he started. Schweikert managed to defeat Quayle in part by running campaign ads that insinuated he was bisexual, and as a result, the rest of the Congressional delegation from Arizona has turned their backs on him, and John Boehner removed him from all his committee assignments because, as one GOP staffer said of Schweikert, he's "one of the most egregious ***holes in the party". This is what his OWN party thinks of him. Democrats don't disagree, and certainly unions don't either, with Schweikert having compared them to Nazis, saying, "Goebbels would be proud of them."

As stated, Schweikert's Arizona district is one of the more conservative in the state, and he won re-election in 2018 with only 55% of the vote over Anita Malik, after talking down to Malik and telling her that “87 is more than 84”, during their debate leading her to snap back, “Yes, I know 87 is larger than 84, so thank you for that condescension.” Schweikert has resumed his career in Washington as an egregious ***hole:

• January 23rd, 2019: Rep. Schweikert voted against HR 648, because he was gleeully enjoying the longest government shutdown in history.
• February 28th, 2019: David Schweikert votes against HR 1112, a bill which would have required universal background checks on all firearm purchases, and close the gun show loophole.
• March 14th, 2019: Rep. Schweikert 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: David Schweikert 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).
• May 17th, 2019: Schweikert votes against The Equality Act, which would have prevented discrimination towards Americans based on their gender identity or sexual orientation.
• June 4th, 2019: Rep. Schweikert votes against the Dreamers Act, because he’s too xenophobic and partisan to care about immigration reform.
• July 16th, 2019: David Schweikert can’t be bothered to vote against a resolution to condemn Donald Trump for his racist statements that four people of color in Congress should “go back where they came from”.

Schweikert’s relationship with those constituents has soured, as he has dodged town halls and seen constituents host ones with him in absentia, and his home office in his district has responded to those who brought cookies and hoped to set up meetings with him... by calling the police and trying to have them arrested. For sharing baked goods, apparently. He was fund-raising in 2018 by claiming Democratic organizations in his district who want to flip his seat are "inciting violence" and "setting cars on fire".

Big surprise, that's not based in reality, unless maybe you get your news from Alex Jones, in which case you aren't based in reality anyway.

David Schweikert already has three Democratic challengers awaiting him in 2020, two of whom, Malik and Hiral Tipirneni, have experience on the campaign trail. We’re curious to see if Arizona’s voters jettison Schweikert next November, or if he’s left scrambling after redistricting in 2022.

[shooshoomanjoe]

I do feel sorry for his political opponents if Trump survives this (as I still think is very likely all things considered) and holds onto the Senate (might even retake the House) and Supreme Court. He'll be out for blood and without fear of reelection who knows what crazy shit he'll do.

This is my concern. trump is petty, vindictive and delusional, a bad combination for a world leader to have.

[worstblogever]

I think if Trump-o the Dump-o survives this, or if the impeachment inquiry is still going on around Thanksgiving, he's going to force a government shutdown. Everyone thought a few weeks ago that the fight would be over border wall funding, but I think he's going to veto any budget to be an ***hole and refuse to sign one until the impeachment inquiry end. The current budget only has the government funded through Nov. 21st.

[Tami]

Trump’s order will deny visas to immigrants who lack health-care coverage

The White House late Friday issued a proclamation saying it would deny visas to immigrants who “will financially burden” the U.S. health-care system starting Nov. 3, demanding that foreign nationals prove that they have insurance or are affluent enough to cover their own health-care costs before entering the United States.

The new rule — issued at 7 p.m. on a Friday, less than 13 months before Election Day — comes as President Trump is facing an impeachment inquiry and intensifying his efforts to fulfill his campaign promises to curb immigration. Like many of Trump’s immigration policies, it is likely to face swift legal challenges in federal courts.

Trump said he is taking the action to “protect the availability of health care benefits for Americans,” and said “taxpayers bear substantial cost” in paying for medical expenses of people who lack health insurance.

Analysts said the proclamation appears to target family-based migration, the type of “chain migration” that the Trump administration and White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hawk, have been unable to persuade Congress to reduce. The White House has pushed for policies that would favor wealthier immigrants with special skills over immigrants from poorer countries, including in Latin America.

Trump’s proclamation comes as the administration is also preparing to implement a new “public charge” rule Oct. 15 that seeks to deny green cards and U.S. citizenship to poor immigrants.

To obtain an immigration visa, foreigners must prove they will be covered by “approved health insurance,” such as a family or employment-based policy, within 30 days of entering the United States, unless they are affluent enough to cover their “reasonably foreseeable medical costs.”

[Tami]

Workers Are Falling Ill, Even Dying, After Making Kitchen Countertops

Artificial stone used to make kitchen and bathroom countertops has been linked to cases of death and irreversible lung injury in workers who cut, grind and polish this increasingly popular material.

The fear is that thousands of workers in the United States who create countertops out of what's known as "engineered stone" may be inhaling dangerous amounts of lung-damaging silica dust, because engineered stone is mostly made of the mineral silica.

Jose Martinez, 37, worked for years as a polisher and cutter for a countertop company that sold engineered stone, as well as natural stone like marble. He says dust from cutting the slabs to order was everywhere.

"If you go to the bathroom, it's dust. When we go to take lunch, on the tables, it's dust," he says. "Your nose, your ears, your hair, all your body, your clothes — everything. When you walk out of the shop, you can see your steps on the floor, because of the dust."

Now, he's often weak and dizzy and has pain in his chest. He can no longer play soccer or run around with his kids. Doctors have diagnosed silicosis, a lung disease that can be progressive and has no treatment except for lung transplant. Martinez is scared after hearing that two other workers from the same company, who were also in their 30s, died of silicosis last year.

"When I go to sleep, I think about it every night — that if I'm going to die in three or four, five years?" he says, his voice breaking. "I have four kids, my wife. To be honest with you, every day I feel worse. Nothing is getting better."

Prevention basically comes down to controlling the dust. Stone cutting businesses can choose from a variety of proven methods ranging from working with stone while it's wet to using vacuum or filtration systems that remove dust from the air.

In 2016, OSHA issued new workplace limits on how much silica could be in the air. This controversial new rule reduced the permissible exposure level to half of what it had been. Safety experts hailed the new, tighter limit as an important step forward; the previous regulations had been based on decades-old science, they said. But many industry groups opposed it.

A year later, the incoming Trump administration ended the safety agency's national emphasis program for silica. That program would have allowed OSHA to target the countertop fabrication industry for special inspections, says Michaels.

"That way OSHA can have an impact on the entire industry," says Michaels. "But OSHA is not doing that."

Without that program, says Michaels, OSHA is limited in what it can legally do. OSHA can investigate a workplace injury or a complaint. But these workers, some of whom are undocumented immigrants with few employment options, are unlikely to complain.

[Tami]

'Crickets’: How a swing district in Pennsylvania is reacting to its congresswoman supporting an impeachment inquiry

ALLENTOWN, Pa. — About 200 miles outside Washington, the impeachment inquiry into President Trump is something Rep. Susan Wild’s constituents are aware of — but when they get the chance to talk to the Democratic congresswoman, they have other things on their minds.

“Guns. That’s part of the reason I’m here,” said Ian Tauber, heading into the Wednesday town hall here with Wild. “I mean, I get impeachment and I support it at this point, but I’d like to see continued progress in other areas."

“We have climate change, we have prescription drugs,” said Robert Martin at the town hall, referring to the subjects he’d rather be talking about.

“I'm very concerned about climate change,” said Deb Martin.

In fact, of more than two dozen questions Wild fielded in the crowded town hall at Muhlenberg College, only two were about impeachment. That’s notable, given that Wild is a moderate Democrat who reluctantly supported an impeachment inquiry last week, acknowledging it might cost her politically. She represents a “purple” political district, Pennsylvania’s 7th, which has Democratic leanings but narrowly voted for Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.

[Jim Kelly]

How does the timeline work in the United States for the politicial parties to select their presidential candidate? I know that they have the primaries and then the convention. But if Trump were to be pushed out only after the primaries were all over and the GOP had to select a presidential candidate at the last minute, could they do that? Or would they be left high and dry without someone they could put forward, because it was too late in the process?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I think if Trump-o the Dump-o survives this, or if the impeachment inquiry is still going on around Thanksgiving, he's going to force a government shutdown. Everyone thought a few weeks ago that the fight would be over border wall funding, but I think he's going to veto any budget to be an ***hole and refuse to sign one until the impeachment inquiry end. The current budget only has the government funded through Nov. 21st.

That hadn’t occurred to me. Yeah, I wouldn’t put it past Trump to hold the government hostage as a means to end the inquiry. As a government worker, this concerns me.