All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[worstblogever]

Honestly I hope the next President (hopefully its a Democrat) comes in and issues an Executive order dismissing all of Trump's picks for Federal court due to issues of not having experience etc. I could see Mitch McConnell's head explode as he goes ape **** trying to defend putting idiots in these positions. All because they fit his far right beliefs.

I believe a House vote would need to be made to successfully impeach them, and sadly, an impeachable offense needs to be cited. Then a Senate trial to convict them (2/3 of Senators, so unless the GOP really, REALLY loses Senate seats, we're unlikely to see a lot of these Trump judges getting the boot from their lifetime appointments). Only 61 have been impeached in our country's history. Most resign rather than get impeached.

[jetengine]

That system is bloody awful.

[Tendrin]

It's sure going to be fun seeing all our liberal priorities be deemed 'unconstitutional' by 'law and economics' federalist society judges for decades into the future.

Did I say fun?

I meant 'entirely predictable nonsense we could have avoided'.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Republicans claim they are against affirmative action because it prevents qualified people from getting hired yet they have no problem with trump appointing unqualified people.

[kidfresh512]

Speaking of McConnell, that snub is amazing.

That's the level of petty I can get down with. McConnell is a demonspawn **** him

[Astral Disaster]

Speaking of McConnell, that snub is amazing.

DAMN... that was awesome!

[4saken1]

I believe a House vote would need to be made to successfully impeach them, and sadly, an impeachable offense needs to be cited. Then a Senate trial to convict them (2/3 of Senators, so unless the GOP really, REALLY loses Senate seats, we're unlikely to see a lot of these Trump judges getting the boot from their lifetime appointments). Only 61 have been impeached in our country's history. Most resign rather than get impeached.

I strongly doubt that this would happen in any case. It would set a precedent that Republicans would be all to willing to repeat the next time that they came into power on Democratic appointees who aren't sufficiently anti-abortion.

[ed2962]

Here's Gabbard appearing on Sean Hannity, criticizing the impeachment process.

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1187544241427214336

Can everyone on the boarwd who stanned this woman for 'pro-peace' and 'progressive' views get around to realizing they were had?

I can admit it. I was attracted to her anti-interventionist stance, but more and more she seems to just have bad takes on things like medicare, accepting GOP framing of other Dems, etc

[Tendrin]

I can admit it. I was attracted to her anti-interventionist stance, but more and more she seems to just have bad takes on things like medicare, accepting GOP framing of other Dems, etc

Anti-Interventionism when that anti-interventionism seems to be 'let Putin and Assad murder who they will' isn't a net good anyway.

I sincerely doubt a Gabbard presidency would, for example, be any different towards the Kurds than a Trump presidency.

[Tami]

Trump is schedule to speak at a historically black sounthern college/university today I think.

It this doesn't explode, I'll be surprised.

[BeastieRunner]

DAMN... that was awesome!

Caption this!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump is schedule to speak at a historically black sounthern college/university today I think.

It this doesn't explode, I'll be surprised.

Why in hell did they invite him in the first place? That makes ZERO sense!

[kidfresh512]

Why in hell did they invite him in the first place? That makes ZERO sense!

Same reason dignitaries around the world still invite him. He can have a direct effect on actual money that they get. Its more important to just listen to his bs, let him yammer and if he can help them and get them the funds they need whether its for show or not it has a real benefit to the actual schools and students.

They know what hes about thats why is support is in single digits for African Americans. But, meeting with him for Justice reform or things like this if you can flatter him to do a couple good things on his way out great. Get some good benefit from the heap of **** we got by electing him

[Astral Disaster]

US Sending Troops Back To Syria

https://www.thenational.ae/world/men...syria-1.928609

"The United States will strengthen its military presence in Syria to prevent oil fields captured from ISIS from falling back into the control of extremists, the US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said on Friday.
His comments come after Donald Trump announced earlier this month that he was bringing US forces home, triggering a Turkish military offensive in northern Syria."

[Tami]

IG Says VA Whistleblower Office Mostly Screwed Whistleblowers

Ukrainegate is deservedly monopolizing the headlines right now, but let’s not forget all the garden variety corruption still going on under the Trump administration. Take the Department of Veterans Affairs, for example. A couple of years ago President Trump set up an office to protect VA whistleblowers and encourage them to come forward. That’s a great idea for an agency that’s obviously had a lot of problems.

But Trump, of course, has a very personal view of whistleblowing: it only counts if it’s whistleblowing against enemies, not friends. The guy in charge got the message loud and clear:

The office’s first executive director, Peter O’Rourke, instead used his position to stifle claims and retaliate against the employees the new organization had been designed to protect, the IG report found. Mr. O’Rourke, who once directed a conservative political action committee and then consulted for the VA, leveraged his power as head of the whistleblower office to end investigations into allies and failed to provide basic reports to Congress on the office’s operations, investigators said.

Mr. O’Rourke eventually rose to acting secretary of the VA before leaving the department last year. He is now the executive director of the Florida Republican Party.