All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[jetengine]

Rod Blagojevich, the Illinois governor who sold Obama's senate seat gets his sentence commuted by the President.

What does Trump get out of it though ?

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/lo...ration-1883487

Oh boy, this worked SO well in America. Where the populace straight up refuse to do low skill/low pay work. The care industry is already in fuckin' shambles with it being gamed by buisness owners as piggybanks (4k a month for a room) now its gonna be worse

Though amusingly it makes it easier for non eu individuals to turn up

[PaulBullion]

Video: Warren says Bernie is building a movement on a foundation of hate

[worstblogever]

What does Trump get out of it though ?

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/lo...ration-1883487

He's been teasing pardoning Blago for some time. The word has always been that Trump thought Democrats would be pleased if he pardoned "one of theirs", and lay off of him.

I would suspect that it's just that simple, and he's enough of a stubborn moron that he didn't believe his advisers that Democrats would absolutely NOT consider this any kind of concession, as they were at best lukewarm on him BEFORE the scandal. He was thrown under the bus by anyone in the Democratic Party over a decade ago.

[numberthirty]

What does Trump get out of it though ?

https://inews.co.uk/news/politics/lo...ration-1883487

Oh boy, this worked SO well in America. Where the populace straight up refuse to do low skill/low pay work. The care industry is already in fuckin' shambles with it being gamed by buisness owners as piggybanks (4k a month for a room) now its gonna be worse

Though amusingly it makes it easier for non eu individuals to turn up

There's more than one working theory there...

- If you are not up to speed, dude was on Trump's old show...
- Could lay the groundwork for another person Trump actually wants to cut some slack...

As for the actual lay of the land -

Here in Illinois, there's reasonable folks on both sides of it. Some saying there has to be accountability. Others saying the sentence that the guy got took it out past holding him accountable.

[PaulBullion]

There's more than one working theory there...

- If you are not up to speed, dude was on Trump's old show...
- Could lay the groundwork for another person Trump actually wants to cut some slack...

As for the actual lay of the land -

Here in Illinois, there's reasonable folks on both sides of it. Some saying there has to be accountability. Others saying the sentence that the guy got took it out past holding him accountable.

I was under the impression that the sentence was still at the lower end of sentencing guidelines for that level of corruption.

[Gray Lensman]

There's more than one working theory there...

- If you are not up to speed, dude was on Trump's old show...
- Could lay the groundwork for another person Trump actually wants to cut some slack...

As for the actual lay of the land -

Here in Illinois, there's reasonable folks on both sides of it. Some saying there has to be accountability. Others saying the sentence that the guy got took it out past holding him accountable.

Since Blago was selling Obama's seat, this might just be another bit of Trump stigginit. Plus Donnie doesn't consider white collar crime to be real crime.

[jetengine]

Since Blago was selling Obama's seat, this might just be another bit of Trump stigginit. Plus Donnie doesn't consider white collar crime to be real crime.

Ah ****, forgot the obama connection

[numberthirty]

I was under the impression that the sentence was still at the lower end of sentencing guidelines for that level of corruption.

Since Blago was selling Obama's seat, this might just be another bit of Trump stigginit. Plus Donnie doesn't consider white collar crime to be real crime.

Ah ****, forgot the obama connection

On what's in blue...

While I'm not still super sharp on exactly how it played out, it seemed like it kind of hitched on exactly what they either acquitted him on or couldn't come to a verdict on. It seems like that came down to, maybe, three or four charges?

That said, those charges were the "Bribery..." and "Attempted Extortion..." charges. If you have those, you can try to make the case for that they tried to slam him because of what they couldn't actually convict him on. That said, yeah. He could have got more at the maximum on the wire fraud charges he was convicted of.

Back then, it seems like a law professor from here in Illinois(maybe Kent?) ballparked that they would wind up sentencing him to five to eleven years?

If you have that, what they gave him does seem a bit above what that professor reasonably predicted.

Also seems like Durbin has pointed to that it might have been a bit much.


As for the rest?

I'd guess Trump just doesn't see trying to get that out of an elected office as any big whoop.

[PaulBullion]

Iowa Democratic Party just posted results of its recanvass:

Buttigieg: 563.207
Sanders: 563.127

So, Sanders lost the popular vote, too. But using that narrative sure helped propel him to front runner status in the media and improved his polling.

New front runner Buttigieg?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Bloomberg’s Billions Didn’t Just Build A Political Network. He Also Bought Silence.

When Mayor Bloomberg’s plans for New York City failed to gain popular support, his vast philanthropic network helped gin up the illusion. In brief, Money Mike had charged rent to working families living in shelters. Jesus! I don't know if even Republicans would sink THAT low!

**********

Rush Limbaugh: Trump Told Me Not To Apologize For Pete Buttigieg Remarks

The talk show host claimed the president called him and said, ‘Rush, I just got to tell you something. Never apologize.” Can't say this came as no surprise since Trump never apologizes for being a supreme scumbag.

**********

Bernie Sanders Breaks With Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez On ‘Medicare For All’ Strategy

The congresswoman has suggested Democrats may have to compromise on the presidential candidate’s health care plan, but he said it’s “already a compromise.” Sanders is kidding himself. If he wins the election but has to deal with Midnight Mitch should Dems fail to win the Senate, there won't be ANY compromise at all, Bernie's dream will be dead on arrival.

**********

Quarantined Cruise Ship In Japan Became Incubator For Coronavirus

The Diamond Princess cruise ship is the only place where health officials have seen the disease spread efficiently beyond China.

**********

Ex-GOP Lawmaker: Republicans Are Letting Donald Trump Drive Country ‘To Financial Ruin’

Mark Sanford accused conservatives of choosing “to ignore this mounting crisis out of fealty” to Trump. Well, Mark, it's not like Republicans have a choice, it's either kiss Trump's ass or risk being primaried via tweet.

[SquirrelMan]

In between the canceled flights and people being afraid to book cruises, the corona virus has done more to combat climate change in a few weeks than Trump in 3 years.

...

not to make light of a health crisis that has killed many people. But still.

[numberthirty]

Bloomberg’s Billions Didn’t Just Build A Political Network. He Also Bought Silence.

When Mayor Bloomberg’s plans for New York City failed to gain popular support, his vast philanthropic network helped gin up the illusion. In brief, Money Mike had charged rent to working families living in shelters. Jesus! I don't know if even Republicans would sink THAT low!

**********

Nothing about that is even remotely shocking.

[PaulBullion]

Iowa Democratic Party just posted results of its recanvass:

Buttigieg: 563.207
Sanders: 563.127

So, Sanders lost the popular vote, too. But using that narrative sure helped propel him to front runner status in the media and improved his polling.

New front runner Buttigieg?

oh well:

Bernie Sanders’ campaign to request recount of Iowa caucuses

[Superbat]

Iowa Democratic Party just posted results of its recanvass:

Buttigieg: 563.207
Sanders: 563.127

So, Sanders lost the popular vote, too. But using that narrative sure helped propel him to front runner status in the media and improved his polling.

New front runner Buttigieg?

He didn't lose the popular vote. Those are the state delegate equivalents.

[PaulBullion]

He didn't lose the popular vote. Those are the state delegate equivalents.

Ah, I stand corrected.

So he won't lose the popular vote until after the recount he requested. After all, it's rigged against him, right?