All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[PwrdOn]

Republicans aren't a monolith. There's always going to be disagreement.

In the era I grew up, conservatives were generally the ones calling for things to be banned or boycotted, be it Dogma or the Dixie Chicks.

The argument that I had accepted was that conservatives were wrong to do so. Politcally, there were consequences for Republicans as the party lost Congress in 2006 and a progressive Senator beloved by Hollywood won the White House in 2008.

I do not recall progressives at the time arguing that the conservatives just had the wrong target, but were correct in their approach.

Conservatives are still the ones calling for everything to be boycotted, or did you forget that whole Colin Kaepernick saga, or all those insufferable herbs on social media declaring that everything from skinny jeans to soy lattes represents the downfall of Western civilization. And honestly, by all means, keep doing that if it makes you feel better about yourself, making insane unfounded claims about random people tends to make you look worse in the end anyway.

[Tami]

Rep. Don Beyer on Twitter

House Republicans led by Marjorie Taylor Greene are once again using process maneuvers to try to prevent the House of Representatives from functioning.

Last week they tried to adjourn the House for the day at 10:30 in the morning; today they are doing something even worse.

Congress speeds the consideration of uncontroversial bills, things like renaming post offices, bills that pass out of committees with unanimous support, legislation both parties agree on.

They pass on "voice vote," and if a single Member objects they can request a recorded vote.

This has always been a good way to fast track what we agree on to allow more time for consideration and debate of harder legislation. In in the pandemic it's especially important because we vote in groups to limit the danger of spreading the virus; a single vote takes 45 minutes.

Today I was to preside over consideration of 13 of these noncontroversial bills with bipartisan support, but then the bills were suddenly pulled.

It turned out Republicans planned to demand recorded votes on *everything* to delay the American Rescue Plan.

Pandemic precautions mean that we would have been voting on these bills all night. Greene and her colleagues were exploiting those precautions to protect us and our staffs in order to delay critical legislation.

Their tactic will now delay the passage of these bills: see here

They are delaying a bill to award Congress' highest civilian honor to the first responders who protected the Capitol on January 6, including those who are no longer with us.

They are delaying a bill to improve vaccine delivery through the VA.

They are delaying Republican bills.

House Republicans leaders had multiple opportunities to stand up to extremists like Marjorie Greene in their party.

Instead, they have empowered them -- and this is what happens: attempts to block Covid relief by delaying legislation that has near-unanimous support. Despicable.

[Username taken]

Conservatives are still the ones calling for everything to be boycotted, or did you forget that whole Colin Kaepernick saga, or all those insufferable herbs on social media declaring that everything from skinny jeans to soy lattes represents the downfall of Western civilization. And honestly, by all means, keep doing that if it makes you feel better about yourself, making insane unfounded claims about random people tends to make you look worse in the end anyway.

Exactly this.

Conservatives are still crowing about the depiction of LGBT in media today. Didn’t “One Million Moms” want to boycott the Hallmark channel for this reason? It was a couple of conservative “activists” that got James Gunn fired by Disney initially. And thank God people are re-addressing the Janet Jackson super bowl issue, her career never recovered from that incident. It’s funny that Donald Trump himself has on several occasions advocated for people that disagreed with him get fired from their jobs.

The whole cancel culture thing isn’t new and is not an exclusive tool of the left. Conservatives have tried to boycott stuff from Nike to Netflix in recent years so seeing conservatives cry about cancel culture is pretty meaningless.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

Perhaps the wildest thing I have seen is people angry at the interview that Meghan Markle and Harry did on Oprah , angry at them for dishing on Royal Family.

[PwrdOn]

Perhaps the wildest thing I have seen is people angry at the interview that Meghan Markle and Harry did on Oprah , angry at them for dishing on Royal Family.

It seems like the one consistent feature of conservatives everywhere is this insistence in believing in a fantasy that never existed to begin with, and getting increasingly mad every time reality slaps them in the face. The British royal family are inbred pond scum and always have been, anyone who has ever studied history could tell you that, and it's one thing to be so delusional as to need to continue believing in some silly fairy tale just so your whole worldview doesn't fall apart, but why force everyone else to ignore the truth also?

[Revolutionary_Jack]

Perhaps the wildest thing I have seen is people angry at the interview that Meghan Markle and Harry did on Oprah , angry at them for dishing on Royal Family.

A range of attitudes and responses I think:
-- How dare she get uppity? (the word "uppity" automatically marks you as a racist, it's just that kind of word)
-- What does she have to complain about, she's still rich and swanky ain't she? (which is more across the spectrum)
-- How dare she spoil my fun about my gushing about the Royal regalia and pageantry that Disney have taught me can be engaged with apart from the centuries of violence and unpunished peasant murder and peasant robbery that it legitimizes?

In the UK, the responses is,
-- Can't she take it on the stiff upper lip?
-- What do they have to complain about?
-- The Queen drove a truck in World War II when she was a Princess, that counts for more.

And so on and so forth.

[JackDaw]

Perhaps the wildest thing I have seen is people angry at the interview that Meghan Markle and Harry did on Oprah , angry at them for dishing on Royal Family.

Not convinced that anyone is actually angry at idea of Royal Family getting “dissed”...it’s a regular event!

Had to laugh at one of the reported lines of argument “We want to stop being royal but it essential for our boy to be a Prince”.

[Malvolio]

If you do get it get the uncut version. There are some neat little scenes like the main character John's interaction with John Brown, or john's "Duel" With the German military advisor.

The uncut version is 3 discs and is on Amazon for 23.99. It is well worth it. Stars include John Hammond, Stacy Keach, Greggory Peck, Paul Winfield, Lloyd Bridges.

It is not heavy on action. The main character John is an artist reporter for Harpers and it shows his drama living with his Northern Cousins who accept and love him and the falling out with his older brothers, father and hardcore Pro Southern Sister.

The VHS of this movie as a child is what got me into the civil war.

I think my Mom has that recorded from TV. My Mom pretty much loves any kind of Civil War historical drama. She has North and South, too.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

CDC Releases New Guidelines For Fully Vaccinated Americans

Those fully vaccinated can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, federal health officials said Monday.

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Georgia Senate Passes Sweeping Bill That Attacks Voting Rights

The legislation, which would end no-excuse absentee voting and establish voter ID requirements, is the latest Republican effort to suppress the vote. The assault on Democracy is underway!

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RNC Responds To Trump’s Cease-And-Desist Demand With A Thanks, But We’re Good

The Republican Party’s top lawyer says the First Amendment gives it the right to use the former president’s name in its fundraising appeals. Prediction: A pissed off Trump announces again that he'll start that third political party, and the next day, the RNC issues mea culpas out the ass.

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FBI Warns White Supremacists Aim To Increase Dangerous Ties With Police, Military: Report

Increased links would allow far-right extremists to “enhance operational security and develop new tactics,” concludes a report obtained by ABC News. This **** is troubling, even borderline alarming.

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Rep. Paul Gosar Tweets White Nationalist Group’s Motto

After speaking at a white nationalist “America First” conference recently, the Arizona congressman appears to be doubling down on his support of the group. Well, of course he did. Qpublicans need that white supremacist vote. Yo, WBE, do you have this asswipe in the queue?

**********

Saddest Homecoming Ever? Trump Greeted By A Single Supporter In New York Return.

The former president’s onetime hometown didn’t exactly roll out the red carpet. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

[worstblogever]

Rep. Paul Gosar Tweets White Nationalist Group’s Motto

After speaking at a white nationalist “America First” conference recently, the Arizona congressman appears to be doubling down on his support of the group. Well, of course he did. Qpublicans need that white supremacist vote. Yo, WBE, do you have this asswipe in the queue?[/B]

Been profiling Gosar since Year 1. This was his 2020 update.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/202...ar-2020-Update
He's due for the new one in ten days, and yeah, I was aware of him speaking at "Conference for Republicans too Racist Even for CPAC"

[worstblogever]

In 2015, in 2016, and in 2017, “Crazy Stupid Republican of the Day” published profiles of Ritch Workman, from the Florida House of Representatives, who was once featured on The Colbert Report because of his dedication to try and get the Sunshine State’s ban on dwarf-tossing lifted. He also complained that Florida’s history school textbooks featured a “pro-Islam bias” because it had 36 pages dedicated to Muslim civilizations around the world, and “sugar-coated” atrocities he feels practitioners of the religion committed that were omitted. Workman’s “smaller government” principles also have seen him vote to drug test welfare recipients and ban same sex marriage. He also would like to say he’s pro-life, which would be reflected by his extreme stance on abortion, but it’s a bit of a double standard as “pro-life” when he also supports the death penalty. Workman was busy trying to protect "family values" in 2016, by trying to prevent same-sex couples from adopting children, but his hypocrisy was exposed when he was revealed in a hack of Ashley Madison's adultery website to himself have had an account there. Mercifully, Ritch Workman came up against term limits in 2016 and is no longer in office. Rick Scott tried to appoint him to a position within the state, but then Workman was forced to withdraw because of sexual harassment accusations.
On this date in both 2018, as well as 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” first profiled Alabama State Senator Paul Sanford, who was first elected to District 7 in a special election back in 2009 on his incredible resume of running a barbecue restaurant. Sanford, in recent years, has made quite a name for himself as an anti-choice crusader, most famously in February of 2016 when he drafted legislation to make it illegal for any abortion clinic to operate within 500 feet of a school. Critics pointed out that Republicans could thus shut down any of its five remaining abortion clinics by offering to fund a school (or more likely in the GOP’s agenda, a charter school) on the same block to force its closure, and Sanford didn’t exactly change course or tone down his rhetoric, defending the move by pointing out that the 500 foot limit is the same distance that sex offenders must remain from schools, saying, “We can put a restriction on whether a liquor store opens up across the street and make sure pedophiles stay away from schools. I just think having an abortion clinic that close to elementary-age school children that actually have to walk on the sidewalk past it is not the best thing.” Paul Sanford’s a special kind of troll on fiscal matters as well, as in 2015, when the Alabama GOP controlling the legislature passed a budget with huge tax breaks for wealthy citizens that created a budget deficit of $300 million, he mockingly created a GoFundMe page for citizens to help balance the state budget. His overall voting record outside of those moments is lockstep with most of the most fringe extremists of Alabama, including votes to see abortion banned at 20 weeks, voter suppression bills disguised as a Voter ID bills, attempts to nullify federal firearms regulations, and a bill to drug test welfare recipients. Paul Sanford was kicking around a run for governor, but oddly decided against running for re-election at all in 2018. With all the corruption we’ve seen from high-ranking members of the Alabama GOP over the past few years, we’ll just assume someone had some solid dirt on Sanford and forced him to stay at home.



On this date one year ago, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” first profiled Oregon State Senator Brian Boquist, who was first elected to that body back in 2008 after having served four years in the Oregon House of Representatives. For those who haven’t been following Oregon politics the past few years, Democrats hold a super-majority in both chambers of the Oregon state legislature, and what few Republicans are left are, frankly, a bunch of lunatics who are often science-denying morons, pal around with militia groups (a.k.a. in many instances domestic terrorists), or some combination of the two. And whenever Governor Kate Brown and the Democratic-controlled legislature try to pass even modest legislation to do things as simple as taking steps to combat climate change… the Oregon GOP have staged walk-outs along party lines, leaving the legislature without the 2/3 attendance by its members to have a quorum and vote on any bills on the floor.

Now, while we could profile any single member of the Oregon GOP for this level of spiteful partisan behavior, Brian Boquist is the guy who stands out as the radical amongst the radicals. Because, within the power of her office, Kate Brown can order Oregon law enforcement to please go and collect any legislator that abandons their sworn duty to serve the people of the state, and bring them to the capitol. But when she made this request in June of 2019, the Oregon GOP fled across the border into Idaho, with the armed protection of militia groups. And on Twitter, Boquist made a not-so-veiled threat to murder any officer that tried to try to take him back to do his job:

“Send bachelors and come heavily armed. I’m not going to be a political prisoner in the state of Oregon. It’s just that simple.”

Boquist is an ex-member of United States Special Forces in the U.S. Army, and he may be fancying some sort of last stand like John Rambo in First Blood… but thankfully, Gov. Brown didn’t oblige him with a shootout.

For this defiance, Boquist was fined $500 a day that he chose to shirk his duties, to which he sued Senate President Peter Courtney over, while commenting that from his perspective as a Catholic that, “Courtney’s soul is completely lost now.”

A judge threw that lawsuit out of court relatively quickly, and due to his threatening remarks, he now must give 12 hours notice before he returns to work so that state troopers can prepare everyone for this violent kook’s arrival (which isn't often that he shows up at all, at least).

The entire incident was, frankly, dumb… and yet Boquist and the Oregon GOP have repeated the same theatrics on multiple occasions, including throwing a temper tantrum again because of the prospect of having Democrats passing a cap and trade climate bill. We’re not going to cry too much about the fact that since his first walkout, Boquist has barely even deigned to show up to work in the legislature, missing several votes, because when he was in the legislature, he would vote against minimum wage increases, against bans on gay conversion therapy, and against virtually any progressive measure in the state.

Brian Boquist won re-election to a new four year term in 2020. He then decided he would like to participate in politics even less, and if you were wondering how that might be possible… he quit the Republican Party and registered as an Independent, informing the Oregon GOP he would not caucus with them, which is pretty easy when you actively don’t show up to participate anyway. This loon will now be in office/exile until 2024, when hopefully, someone who wants to show up to the legislature is on the ballot to replace him.

[Tami]

Bush and Clinton portraits are back on display in White House's Grand Foyer

Washington (CNN)The White House has rehung the official presidential portraits of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton after they were removed last July during the Trump administration, an official tells CNN.

They are back on display in the Grand Foyer of the executive mansion, the official said.

The portraits were removed last July and were replaced by two portraits of Republican presidents who served more than a century ago.

White House tradition calls for portraits of the most recent American presidents to be given the most prominent placement, in the entrance of the executive mansion, visible to guests during official events. However, the Trump White House moved the Clinton and Bush portraits into the Old Family Dining Room, a small, rarely used room that is not seen by most visitors.

That placed the paintings well outside of Trump's vantage point in the White House. However, now that they are back in their previous location, the pictures will most likely be seen by President Joe Biden as he descends the staircase from the third-floor private residence.

The official portrait of former President Barack Obama has not been unveiled, and it is unclear when it will be completed or when it will be hung.

[Tami]

NYC prosecutors' probe into Trump finances expands to include millions loaned for Chicago skyscraper

(CNN)The Manhattan district attorney's office subpoenaed documents from an investment company that loaned the Trump Organization millions of dollars for its Chicago skyscraper in a sign that the investigation into the former president's finances continues to expand, according to people familiar with the investigation.

Prosecutors issued the grand jury subpoena to Fortress Investment Management late last year, the people said, as part of their wide-ranging investigation into former President Donald Trump and his company.

Investigators' interest in how Trump and his company treated the Chicago loan is an expansion of an inquiry that encompasses multiple aspects of the Trump business.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

NYC prosecutors' probe into Trump finances expands to include millions loaned for Chicago skyscraper

Heaven only knows how long it could take investigators to sift through the morass that's Trump's finances. I'm sure there's illegal dealings everywhere Trump has property, both here and abroad.

[MindofShadow]

Anyone know when the third stimulus is going to be distributed?

Thanks to the senate lowering the threshold because ???? I might get boned if they wait until after Tax Time