All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[worstblogever]

The issue with Pete is the only person running with lower support among black voters is Trump. After the debate he might be in danger of being the guy they stay home over on election day if he manages to win the nomination.

When the primaries move to states that aren't predominantly white... either Biden or Warren are going to start winning states. Unless Buttigieg or Bernie start winning things like New Hampshire running away from the pack to make people believe they have "front-runner" status.

Nothing in the polling shows anybody is taking a state with a clear majority.

[Tami]

Candidate attacks during the eighth Democratic debate, February 2020: Graphic

It was a debate that left many asking "who won?" Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was a frequent target from the start, while former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the second-most frequent target, was attacked by every candidate on stage Friday night except Andrew Yang.

Sanders and Buttigieg, in a virtual tie for first in the chaotic Iowa caucuses, were also the most attacked candidates in January’s debate in Des Moines. With the pair leading the field in New Hampshire in the latest NBC News/Marist poll, we will track attacks throughout the night to see if the other contenders try to blunt their momentum.

Candidate attacks, by the numbers, in the eighth presidential debate.jpg

[Superbat]

39% of people think the Democratic primary is rigged compared to 30% that don't think it is.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/poli.../02/04/753b6/1

More think the Iowa caucus was rigged than it wasn't.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/trav.../02/04/753b6/2

This is why what happened in Iowa matters. The perception that it was rigged exists and it will hurt Democrats in the general. It doesn't have to be true for the Republicans to use it as an attack.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2016, 2018, and 2019, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" had its original profile of Jonathon Stickland, a high school dropout and exterminator turned into a “pro-life” politician and Tea Party hero as a member of the Texas House of Representatives who has held office in District 92 since 2012. Stickland’s upward trajectory seemed remarkable, as he had co-sponsored a lot of successfully passed (albeit radically conservative) legislation at but 32 years old. That is, until in December 2015, when comments Stickland made online in a fantasy football forum under the moniker of “Stick” surfaced, where he “joked around” with a friend whose wife wouldn’t have sex with him in a particular sexual position by advising him that “Rape is non existent in marriage, take what you want my friend!” Stickland also was looking for some companionship from possible aficionados of marijuana on the forum, giving his e-mail if they wanted to be his “smoke-buddy” and also ranting about being called upon to undergo a random drug test at work (that he also tried to avoid getting a positive result on by drinking a detox drink). This was pretty hypocritical considering Stickland voted to drug test welfare recipients, because of course he did. After his comments were unearthed online, and the media began to circulate them, he got on Twitter to post a one word defense of his remarks… “LIBERTY!” Despite of being caught claiming that there is no such thing as spousal rape and admitting to illegal drug use, Stickland’s one word defense managed to be enough for Texans in his district to re-elect him in 2016.

It wasn’t long before the upstart Tea Partier’s act had begun to wear thin with the more mainstream Republican Party of Texas, forming a Texas version of the House Freedom Caucus whose concept of “freedom” seems to be to spitefully sabotage any and all legislation from EITHER the GOP or Democrats because… well… he’s just an irritant, really. Still, Stickland did manage to co-sponsor legislation that got passed, although we’re reasonable certain that courts will overturn a law that allows adoption agencies to deny services based on the religion of the applicants for those adoptions.

Past that, his creepy brand of misogyny reared its ugly head again in May 2017 when he asked the Texas Parliamentarian to “smile for him” during the daily session of the legislature, and that’s the sort of behavior you get when he isn’t calling for the complete abolition of abortion at the state capitol, or when he labeled himself a “former fetus” on his office door at the capitol.

The Texas Republican Party, however, chose not to have anyone primary Jonathon Stickland, the embarrassment that he’s been the past three years or so, and instead, Stickland only had to face off against Democrat Steve Ridell in the 2018 general election in November for Texas’ District 92. Which isn’t to say that Stickland let himself get bored. Instead, he inserted himself into the race for Euless, Texas City Council, where he attacked the Muslim religion of the Pakstani candidate for that office, Salman Bhojani, in social media posts, and blamed him for “the Koran being read in a Euless City Council meeting”, and described Bhojani’s representation of his religion as “sneaky”. This bigoted effort at least failed, with Bhojani winning the race by 37 votes.

Stickland himself has developed such a streak of being an incompetent hack that both sides of the aisle in Texas seem intent on getting rid of him, and that’s why nobody hesitated to carry out an ethics investigation after he and his aides were caught forging witness affirmation forms for testimony they had no intention of ever giving at the capitol. They only narrowly avoided being criminally prosecuted for this endeavor.

However… we have some great news. In June of 2019, Jonathon Stickland announced that he would not be running for re-election in 2020, and his career will mercifully come to an end. He was honored in 2019 by Texas Monthly by not just being named the “Worst Legislator of the Year” again, but instead, being given the award of a new title on his way out… “Cockroach”.

We wish Jonathon Stickland our finest “GOOD RIDDANCE” salutes and look forward to leaving him in the past, with all his garbage thoughts on American life. May the "Cockroach" find himself a can of Raid.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

In MORE pressing and important news than the Iowa mess and the endless bleating over Biden and Sanders:

Alexander Vindman, Army Officer Who Testified Against Trump, Escorted Out Of White House

Vindman was the Ukraine expert for the National Security Council. His attorney said he was dismissed for “telling the truth.”

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Trump Fires EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland After Impeachment Acquittal

Sondland’s dismissal came just hours after Lt. Colonel Alexander Vindman, who also testified against Trump, was fired.

The Trump Revenge Tour is on. The President of the United States, acting like a Mafia don is taking out his enemies from the Ukraine mess. Speaking of which....

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New York Daily News Slaps Donald Trump With A Searing Mob Movie Nickname

The tabloid newspaper worked Trump into an iconic film poster.



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Trump’s Acquittal Shows The GOP Senate Acts Like A Cult

Republican senators blocked evidence and used lies, conspiracy theories and convoluted arguments to defend their leader.

**********

Mitt Romney Gets Standing Ovation At Democratic Presidential Debate

It’s certainly not 2012 anymore.

[Steel Inquisitor]

39% of people think the Democratic primary is rigged compared to 30% that don't think it is.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/poli.../02/04/753b6/1

More think the Iowa caucus was rigged than it wasn't.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/trav.../02/04/753b6/2

This is why what happened in Iowa matters. The perception that it was rigged exists and it will hurt Democrats in the general. It doesn't have to be true for the Republicans to use it as an attack.

Perception only goes so far, there nothing Perez or the DNC can say that will stop people who have made up their minds about conspiracy theories.

[Tami]

Tribune Editorial: Mitt Romney’s profile in courage

“I almost literally looked down into my open grave. Friendships, position, fortune, everything that makes life desirable to an ambitious man were about to be swept away by the breath of my mouth, perhaps forever.”

— Sen. Edmund G. Ross, R-Kansas, reflecting on his deciding vote to acquit the impeached President Andrew Johnson in 1868.

Mitt Romney could have ducked this one.

He could have voted with the rest of the Republican members of the Senate of the United States to acquit the president of the United States on both of the articles of impeachment brought by the House of Representatives. He could have rationalized it — to himself, to his party, to his state, to his family, to history — by noting, as he did Wednesday, that his vote wasn’t going to be the crucial one.

But he couldn’t explain it to his conscience.

[Tami]

‘Comply’: Devin Nunes threatens criminal charges against DOJ Inspector General Michael Atkinson

According to an exclusive report from Fox News, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA) is threatening to take action against Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson over his handling of the whistleblower’s complaint, giving him until February 14 to comply with congressional requests for documents.

“I will be referring this matter for investigation by the Department of Justice if you once again refuse to comply,” Nunes wrote in a letter.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Tribune Editorial: Mitt Romney’s profile in courage

And you can be sure Romney is fully in Trump's crosshairs. It took balls for Romney to do what he did, balls that his fellow Republicans lacked in spades. I respect that, something I NEVER thought I'd say about Romney.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Esper says 'Pentagon protects its service members from retribution' amid reports of possible Vindman ouster

Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday said the Pentagon protects its service members from retribution, following reports that President Trump may oust the top White House expert on Ukraine after he testified during House impeachment hearings.

“We protect all of our persons, service members, from retribution or anything like that. We’ve already addressed that in policy and other means,” Esper told reporters at the Pentagon during a press conference with his Colombian counterpart.

A claim that proved to be painfully hollow when Vindman was later fired by a vengeful Trump, eager to dispose of his "enemies" from the impeachment drama. if Esper had any pride, honor or loyalty to the military he serves, Esper would've resigned from his post, the fact he hasn't shows me Esper is nothing more than a lackey at the Pentagon for Trump. As a veteran myself, I'm furious that Vindman was left to twist in the wind because he chose to do his duty and report wrongdoing in the White House.

[Zauriel]

39% of people think the Democratic primary is rigged compared to 30% that don't think it is.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/poli.../02/04/753b6/1

More think the Iowa caucus was rigged than it wasn't.

https://today.yougov.com/topics/trav.../02/04/753b6/2

This is why what happened in Iowa matters. The perception that it was rigged exists and it will hurt Democrats in the general. It doesn't have to be true for the Republicans to use it as an attack.

That is why several democrats are already calling for Chairman Tom Perez's resignation from the DNC after the disastrous Iowa caucus. Tom Perez is the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee

[Zauriel]

Tribune Editorial: Mitt Romney’s profile in courage

Senator Mitt Romney should be nominated for a Profile in Courage Award

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profile_in_Courage_Award

[Michael Watkins]

Perception only goes so far, there nothing Perez or the DNC can say that will stop people who have made up their minds about conspiracy theories.

That’s like saying that there’s nothing Trump can say that will stop people who have made their mind up about the corruption in his administration. Isn’t the flooding of the phone lines a conspiracy?

[Michael Watkins]

What worries me is that Sanders supporters don't see through the game Republicans are playing.

You have some of the most right wing GOP clowns defending Sanders against the mean old DNC. They want Sanders as Trump's opponent so badly. Because they are sitting on attacks that will be VERY efficient in those swing states to turn people off Bernie. Attacks that his Democratic primary opponents won't touch because they have decency. But Sanders would be annihilated in the general elections. This is America, a nation of puritans. ´

Not feeling the bern, but smelling the bengay.

The game republicans are playing

[numberthirty]

Yikes...

https://www.chicagotribune.com/busin...zjm-story.html

Jane Byrne Interchange price tag has gone up again — the bill is now a quarter-billion more than initial estimates