All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[Michael Watkins]

Trump behaves like a child to absolutely no ones surprise.

when you think about it, trump's supporters are, in effect, his parents. they react to any implication that Trump has done something wrong the way that a protective parent would. that's why he's not going to lose support. it's difficult for most people to reject their own child. the only thing that might save the RNC now is if Trump came out as gay.

[Tami]

when you think about it, trump's supporters are, in effect, his parents. they react to any implication that Trump has done something wrong the way that a protective parent would. that's why he's not going to lose support. it's difficult for most people to reject their own child. the only thing that might save the RNC now is if Trump came out as gay.

Trump has had so many sexual assault allegations against him, if one came out from a male I would not be all that surprised. Still not sure if even that would be enough, even with evangelicals.

No, I think it would have to be something even more dramatic. Like trying to disband Congress and trying to arrest it's members regardless of political background.

[Mister Mets]

If the DNC was trying to "fix" the results wouldn't it make better sense to let Warren win or Biden ? Instead of a mayor with little political experience .

Sounds like sore losing to me as usual.

One could think the DNC has the power to make small changes, but not to turn 14 percent into first place.

[aja_christopher]

he's been a part of as many racial discrimination scandals as Trump.

So that makes him just as bad as Trump in that and every other respect?

It seems like you'll just use whatever random reference you can to try to make a point, even if doesn't prove what you are arguing.

Even with regards to racial issues, Pete has done nothing close to what Trump did with the Central Park Five, or regarding immigrants.

Trying to demonize other Democrats is not the solution -- all of the main contenders are a better choice than Trump, if you support the "left".

[Tami]

#breaking Royal Carribean cruiseship docking now in Bayonne, NJ with roughly a dozen sick Chinese nationals on board. They will be tested for coronavirus. #abc7NY

Twitter Link with Video

Seesh, that's really too close for comfort. I hope they get proper medical care.

[Tami]

[Michael Watkins]

So that makes him just as bad as Trump in that and every other respect?

It seems like you'll just use whatever random reference you can to try to make a point, even if doesn't prove what you are arguing.

at what point did i say that this makes him as bad as Trump in that and every other respect? you have this issue with me pointing out the potential attack points of other candidates as if that's not what Trump is going to do. and, before you whine some more about me overlooking Sanders' flaws, i don't need to post about Bernie's flaws. because there are already several people doing that. they've even gone so far as to attack his supporters; calling them sexist and blaming them for Hillary's loss. why don't you turn your attention to them if you care so much about party unity?

[Tami]

The GOP Is Sending Out Political Mailers That Look Like Official Census Documents

Here’s something sleazy: In 2019, the state of Montana had to twice warn voters about mailers from the Republican National Committee disguised to look like official 2020 Census documents. They were actually requests for money and voter information to help re-elect President Donald Trump.

But the GOP hasn’t stopped.

In response to our recent request for your political mail, a Michigan resident sent us a document that looks almost identical to the one the GOP came under fire for last year. (We’ve lightly redacted the document.) Our reader isn’t alone—a Michigan TV station wrote about the practice causing “confusion” recently, too. We’ve contacted Michigan’s census officials and are awaiting comment.

[Tami]

Joe Walsh Drops Out of Presidential Race, Says He’d ‘Rather Have a Socialist Than a Dictator’ in White House

Former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh announced he is ending his presidential campaign, but will continue to work to defeat President Donald Trump because he would rather see a “socialist” in the White House than a “dictator.”

On Friday morning’s edition of CNN New day, anchor John Berman introduced Walsh by noting that he finished a distant third behind Trump in the Iowa Republican caucuses with 1.1% support, to Trump’s 97%.

Walsh told Berman “I am ending my candidacy for president of the United States,” and added “I got into this because I thought it was really important that there was a Republican out there every day calling out this president for how unfit he is” but he discovered that Trump “can’t be stopped within the Republican party” because “it’s not a party, it’s a cult.”

“So you’re out of the Republican race, what now?” Berman asked.

Walsh said that he will “do whatever I can to stop Trump,” and that “this is one of those rare moments in American history, I’m a conservative, where conservatives and liberals Republicans and Democrats independents and moderates got to come together to stop this guy.”

Walsh said that he’s prepared to support “any Democrat” because “Donald Trump is a dictator, he is a king, he literally is the greatest threat to this country right now. Any Democrat would be better than Trump in the White House.”

[Zauriel]

In 2008 Iowa caucus, Hillary Clinton came a distant third behind Obama and John Edwards. Then in 2016, she narrowly won Iowa. Hillary had 23 delegates while Bernie had 21 delegates.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_I...ratic_caucuses

Is anyone sure that DNC surely didn't fix those results, did they?

Of course there are Clinton supporters who believed that the DNC rigged the caucus to make Obama win. But despite HRC's defeat, Clinton supporters rallied behind Obama and helped him win the election.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, as well as 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Brian Greene, a member of the Utah House of Representatives serving District 57 who decided to ask in a committee meeting of the Utah state legislature why the law should always be that sex with an unconscious person should be rape. He even cited an example where he felt there should be an exception to this rule… if it’s your spouse. After the incident, Greene tried claiming he was taken out of context, showing he didn't understand how context works. We’ll add that Greene also voted to block the Medicaid expansion in Utah, voted to allow businesses to still be able to fire employees just for being gay or transgendered, voted after Sandy Hook to legalize concealed carry of firearms without a permit, and in one of the more specific pieces of legislation he’s submitted, was pushing to make sure that someone has to be fully clothed or covered with a sheet between themselves and a masseuse’s hands, only giving a massage therapist a green light to touch someone’s exposed hands, feet, or ears. In 2017, Greene voted against a bill that would require licensed lobbyists in the Utah state legislature to have to go through the Herculean labor of having to go through simple sexual harassment training, because, and we quote, "I think it's pretty clear what's appropriate and what isn't. I hate to get into the false sense of security that we can somehow educate people on what appropriate behavior is and inappropriate behavior is." To reiterate, the guy who had to ask if it’s rape if the person is unconscious, and doesn’t think you can rape your spouse now would like us to believe that he knows what’s clear and appropriate behavior for a lobbyist, and would like to do nothing to stop a toxic environment of harassment. We at least don’t have to continue to ask the voters in his district, “WHY DO YOU KEEP VOTING FOR THIS ****ING IDIOT?” anymore, because mercifully, Brian Greene did not run for re-election in 2018, and is now out of office. As such, we will set aside his profile at this time and profile a different wacky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 833-40, since this was established in July 2014.)


David Byrd

Welcome to what is the 833rd original profile here at “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day”, where we’ll be profiling David Byrd, a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives who has held office since 2014, His voting record aligns himself with the craziest legislation in Tennessee from the past few years as well, including anti-LGBTQ votes like trying to allow adoption agencies to refuse to adopt to same sex couples, co-sponsoring fetal heart beat legislation, co-sponsoring the bill to have Tennessee build a “monument to the unborn”, trying to strip funding to the University of Tennessee’s diversity office, and of course, trying to establish the Bible as the state book. The guy’s not exactly playing with a full deck, but then again, we’re not profiling him because of his legislative record.

Honestly, it’s kind of amazing that he’s still in office in 2020, given how his 2018 election season went. Because, in March of 2018, three women who were basketball players who played for Byrd when he was a girl’s basketball coach three decades earlier came forward to accuse him of sexually assaulting them, and of other improper behavior when they were as young as 15. And… we shouldn’t need to explain what’s wrong with that. Byrd denies it happened, but there’s a recording of a phone call he had with one of his accusers where he seems to acknowledge something happened, and his best defense is to say “he’s a Christian” and he can’t recall details from 30 years ago.

His main defender in the state legislature was former Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada, who has his own scandals to deal with, but to date, neither man has resigned, and Byrd actually managed to win re-election in 2018, despite being accused by three different women, because the GOP didn’t run a primary challenger against him, and his district is conservative enough that an accused pedophile can win by 55 points against a Democrat (again, there are literally Republicans saying a pedophile would be better than a Democrat, like with Roy Moore).

At least the good news that we can end this profile with is that as of August 2019, David Byrd announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2020. The fact that this vile piece of garbage who preyed on girls and the Tennessee GOP are allowing him to serve in office for three full years after the allegations, however, is very telling about the state of current Republican politics.

[kidfresh512]

The GOP Is Sending Out Political Mailers That Look Like Official Census Documents

That is totally insidious and they do it because they know they can trick people. The same way people try email scams and harass us with robocalls. There are ALWAYS people that will fall for things like this.

Meanwhile :

A Democratic President Cannot Undo All of Trump’s Damage in 100 Days

Democrats running for president have been arguing about what they intend to do if elected, but just as significant, about how they would get it done. Achieving policy goals involves either building cross-partisan coalitions in a post-Trump political environment or exercising power more aggressively, shoving aside procedural norms along the way.

Moderate candidates and their supporters promise that narrower reforms, like a public option for health insurance or partial student loan forgiveness, might have a better chance of passage than more ambitious changes. The more ambitious candidates then point out that unless they support eliminating the Senate filibuster (a power that presidents do not possess), they can’t get more modest plans passed, either.

But there’s an assumption built into this argument. It’s a vision of presidential power as a rapidly depleted resource. A president must spend down the “mandate” of an election or re-election victory quickly to achieve as much as possible before an inevitable backlash sets in. That the House and Senate will shift against the president at the midterm election is taken for granted; the only question is whether the shift is modest or catastrophic.

The past two Democratic presidencies, and to some extent Mr. Trump’s as well, have followed this quick-burn model. After passage of the 2009 economic stimulus package with three Republican votes in the Senate, most of Barack Obama’s notable accomplishments fell into the 212-day window during which his party had a 60-vote Senate majority, and most of Bill Clinton’s into the two years in which his party had a congressional majority and was able to use the budget reconciliation process to bypass the filibuster. After midterm backlash, and even after the two presidents crawled back to win re-election, the remaining six years of each administration were lost to hand-wringing over the budget deficit and compromises on conservative priorities like welfare reform, with a few tactical achievements along the way. Only later in their presidencies did either master the other tools of governance, regulations and personnel.

Backlash, even more than the Senate filibuster or an unfriendly Supreme Court, has been the most consequential force in American politics in the era of high partisan polarization. As Eric Patashnik of Brown University, a leading scholar of why policies succeed or fail, wrote recently, “reducing the odds and potency of backlash is critical to the political sustainability of activist government.”

There had been discussion of this basic idea here but this is a pretty good opinion piece detailing why picking the right things to target first and get passed will matter for a Democratic president. Assuming that we get our **** together and rally behind the eventual nominee and get the Senate as well.

People need to also prepare meaning the voters. That they need to not just stop at getting the nominee in and slack off at the next midterms. If it happens there will be a parade of attacks daily on every medium on any Democratic proposals. Some of these policies will not be easy to sell and they will have to be debated and pushed and the entire Democratic coalition will have to be appeased so that they don't loose Senate seats and thus any chance moving forward policies.

He also pointed out how Obamacare would have been much more successful after the rollout if it was supported and revisited with fixes every 2 years or so like Social Security was. If we just drop the ball and allow them to come right back and start repealing and undoing everything it will all be for nothing.

[Tami]

wonderful.....sigh

Trump Beats Congressional Democrats’ Emoluments Lawsuit

President Donald Trump beat back a lawsuit by 215 congressional Democrats who say he has been violating the Constitution's emoluments clauses by profiting from foriegn government spending at his Washington hotel and other properties.

A federal appeals court in Washington on Friday dismissed the case, saying members of the House and Senate lacked the legal standing to sue the President.

Appeals Court Tosses Democrats’ Emoluments Lawsuit Against Trump: Court panel says Democratic lawmakers don’t have legal standing to bring case

WASHINGTON—A federal appeals court threw out a lawsuit by more than 200 Democratic members of Congress that alleged President Trump was improperly profiting from his presidency.

A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled unanimously that the lawmakers didn’t have legal standing to proceed with their claims.

The lawmakers couldn’t assert the institutional interests of the House or Senate against the president because the group didn’t constitute a majority in the legislature and couldn’t represent Congress as a whole, the panel said Friday in an unsigned 12-page opinion.

Democrats had sought to argue that Mr. Trump was violating the Constitution because his private business empire was profiting from foreign governments that sought to patronize his hotels, resorts and other properties to build positive relationships with the president.

The lawmakers alleged that Mr. Trump couldn’t accept emoluments—things of value—from foreign governments without the consent of Congress.

[aja_christopher]

at what point did i say that this makes him as bad as Trump in that and every other respect? you have this issue with me pointing out the potential attack points of other candidates as if that's not what Trump is going to do. and, before you whine some more about me overlooking Sanders' flaws, i don't need to post about Bernie's flaws. because there are already several people doing that. they've even gone so far as to attack his supporters; calling them sexist and blaming them for Hillary's loss. why don't you turn your attention to them if you care so much about party unity?

So what's your point in bringing up his racial discrimination suits in comparing him Trump?

He's an imperfect candidate -- they all are -- but they are still all better than Trump if you care about "progressive" issues.

I'll add that your comment about "whining" about Sanders flaws further shows you don't want to have a real dialogue regardless.

No one is "whining" when they point out Sanders' primary weaknesses -- just like no one is claiming Pete is a saint when it comes to racial issues.

Just that he shouldn't be compared with Trump on even that basis.

And I did point out that I don't think the Sanders' supporters attacks are sexist, maybe about half a dozen pages back when it was brought up.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump has had so many sexual assault allegations against him, if one came out from a male I would not be all that surprised. Still not sure if even that would be enough, even with evangelicals.

I have as vivid an imagination as the next schmuck, but envisioning Trump getting his freak on with another guy is a bridge too far. The mental picture alone would keep me up at night.

The GOP Is Sending Out Political Mailers That Look Like Official Census Documents

Distressing. That would certainly make people suspicious of the Census if **** like that is going on. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised Republicans tried that scummy trick.

wonderful.....sigh

Trump Beats Congressional Democrats’ Emoluments Lawsuit




Appeals Court Tosses Democrats’ Emoluments Lawsuit Against Trump: Court panel says Democratic lawmakers don’t have legal standing to bring case

Big shock, right? This begs the following question which I don't think was mentioned in those articles (and if it was, I might've missed it): Were the members of that court Republican?