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

[BeastieRunner]

Perfect. Divide the conservative vote and guarantee Democratic wins.

You just know that the White People Only Patriot Party will create 8-12 years of spilt votes. Less if the GOP can reunite and squash the Trumpers for the next 2 years. Just like the Reform Party screwed up a good 4-6 years of moderate Republican policy. Hope the right likes Democratic policies ... neolibs never learn.

[DrNewGod]

CNN has a story up about how on Saturday Pat Cippolone explained to Trump that every person he pardons, it means they can't plead the fifth. Therefore, if they fail to pardon them of any specific crime, congratulations, you just made a cooperating witness to testify to any and all other crimes who can't use the fifth to escape it.

Ivanka and Jared sat in the room while this was explained. Trump might not be doing mass pardons because he's afraid it will only place HIM in worse legal jeopardy. And he can't trust flunkies to not roll over on him of the Cruz & Hawley type. Hell, he probably can't trust Jared & Ivanka.

As painful as it will be for the country to go this process of ripping open the thorax of The Executive Branch in order to examine the cancer in it, something ugly in me is wanting to cook up some popcorn and settle in for the circus.

[AnakinFlair]

NDA, she has too much to lose if she talks.

CNN has a story up about how on Saturday Pat Cippolone explained to Trump that every person he pardons, it means they can't plead the fifth. Therefore, if they fail to pardon them of any specific crime, congratulations, you just made a cooperating witness to testify to any and all other crimes who can't use the fifth to escape it.

Ivanka and Jared sat in the room while this was explained. Trump might not be doing mass pardons because he's afraid it will only place HIM in worse legal jeopardy. And he can't trust flunkies to not roll over on him of the Cruz & Hawley type. Hell, he probably can't trust Jared & Ivanka.

Well..... Trump did just pardon Steve Bannon. So I guess they can use him as a cooperating witness in a future trial.

And Lil' Wayne

[DrNewGod]

400,000. God keep their souls and forgive our blindness.

958546205.jpg

[Iron Maiden]

Don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow to the news that Steve Bannon has been pardoned

I was reminded by reading this as to what lead to Bannon falling out with Trump ....

Trump exiled Bannon from his inner circle after he was quoted in a book trashing the President's children, claiming that Donald Trump Jr. had been "treasonous" by meeting with a Russian attorney and labeling Ivanka Trump "dumb as a brick." Those statements from Bannon drove Trump to issue a lengthy statement saying he had "lost his mind."

Of those two reasons I imagine the only one that riled up Trump was the slam against Ivanka.

Terrible and full of lies as always.
-- I have to ask where did this "greatest economy the world has ever seen" nonsense originate from? He's said it several times during the campaign but it's so over the top and unmoored from reality that it makes no sense. I mean historically the height of America's economy was the post-war boom from 1945-46 all the way to Stagflation in the mid-70s, it's a height America has never regained since. And that period was the pinnacle of the economy in the Western World, in America, England, France, Italy and Germany where states approached full employment.
-- He doesn't once acknowledge that Joe Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 election or mention him or apologize for his lies.
-- The claim that his is the first administration that hasn't started any new wars is misleading...technically Obama didn't start any new wars, he just managed the ones that W. already started (Afghanistan, Iraq) and W's wars are still ongoing with US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan without any real end or sign of stability, and indeed with basically the only positive (helping Kurdish liberation) retarded and undone.
-- Sure Obama escalated with the drone program but Trump extended the drone program to even higher numbers (https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/20...bama-s-numbers). And the whole concept that Trump didn't start any new wars belies the fact that he actively tried many times to go to war in Iran and abrogated the Iran Nuclear Deal.

Anyway, the man who presided over 400,000 deaths directly as a result of his evil negligence is no man of peace and is no one to talk about his legacy.

It's shameful how Trump never did offer any statements of condolences for the loss of life families suffered. Even those who recovered may be having a rough time with the after effects for who knows how long.

RE: Trump's claim about the economy also ignores the fact that it was the actions taken during Obama's administration that kick started the economy after the crisis of 2007-2008 that was dropped on their doorstep. Trump merely had to stay out of the way and let it continue. The consequences of his tax break for big business caused the national debt to increase by 7.8 trillion and that's not going to include the final tally for the pandemic.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Of those two reasons I imagine the only one that riled up Trump was the slam against Ivanka.

Ivanka's definitely the smartest sibling, it's juts that it's a very low bar to succeed in. For example, Don Jr. was at the rally encouraging the insurrectionists Ivanka was behind the scenes watching the insurrection on tv. She's still complicit, of course.

It's shameful how Trump never did offer any statements of condolences for the loss of life families suffered. Even those who recovered may be having a rough time with the after effects for who knows how long.

RE: Trump's claim about the economy also ignores the fact that it was the actions taken during Obama's administration that kick started the economy after the crisis of 2007-2008 that was dropped on their doorstep. Trump merely had to stay out of the way and let it continue. The consequences of his tax break for big business caused the national debt to increase by 7.8 trillion and that's not going to include the final tally for the pandemic.

We've seen Trump "try" this with a grieving widow, he can't emotionally connect with people in those situations unlike Biden. Frankly, adding that would be an insult to injury it's better for him not to talk about sensitive subjects like that.

A liar who lies. News at 11.

[Iron Maiden]

Ivanka's definitely the smartest sibling, it's juts that it's a very low bar to succeed in. For example, Don Jr. was at the rally encouraging the insurrectionists Ivanka was behind the scenes watching the insurrection on tv. She's still complicit, of course.



We've seen Trump "try" this with a grieving widow, he can't emotionally connect with people in those situations unlike Biden. Frankly, adding that would be an insult to injury it's better for him not to talk about sensitive subjects like that.

A liar who lies. News at 11.

I'm glad you brought that up. There are so many awful things Trump did (like his lies, it must be in the thousands) that one tends to forget the ones that occurred early on.
It something like this, along with his disrespect of John McCain's military service, that lead gives credibility to the story about him not wanting to go to the graves of WWII soldiers buried in France and if they died in battle that they were "losers"

[Agent Z]

File details investigation into John Mulaney 'SNL' monologue

The U.S. Secret Service opened an investigation into comedian John Mulaney over jokes believed to be made about President Donald Trump on “Saturday Night Live” last year, according to records obtained by The Associated Press.

Mulaney, 38, revealed last month that the Secret Service had investigated the comedian and “SNL” alum for “inappropriate jokes about President Trump” after he made a joke about Roman dictator Julius Caesar, who was stabbed to death by a group of senators on the Ides of March.

The file obtained by the AP through Freedom of Information Act request showed the bureau contacted NBC but did not interview the comedian for its inquiry, which found no wrongdoing.

“Another thing that happened under Julius Caesar, he was such a powerful maniac that all the senators grabbed knives, and they stabbed him to death. That would be an interesting thing if we brought that back now,” Mulaney said to laughter from the audience.

The joke was said during Mulaney’s opening monologue during the “Saturday Night Live” broadcast on Feb. 29, 2020.

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/...223329021.html

[worstblogever]

Don't be surprised if you wake up tomorrow to the news that Steve Bannon has been pardoned .

I'm not. Among his other pardons include Lil' Wayne and Kodak Black, who both were donors to his campaign. Oh, and again, for those who were carrying water for Trump on Russia related things?

Trump also offered clemency to Paul Erickson, the conservative political operative and ex-boyfiend of alleged Russian spy Maria Butina, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering charges.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” posted a profile of John McGee, a former Idaho state senator whose career came to an abrupt halt after over the course of a few weeks back in 2012. You see, after attending a golf tournament where he had about eight drinks too many, he was found passed out in the road drunk behind the wheel of a stolen SUV with a 20 foot trailer blocking the road, and a blood alcohol level of .15. In the months after the incident, McGee was going to have to make a case to the rest of the Idaho State Senate of why he should keep his job, when news also broke that he had sexually harassed a female staffer who he had flashed his junk at and asked for sexual favors. We’ll at least give the guy credit for giving us a story where we don’t even have to look at their voting record.

On this date in 2016, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” posted a Saxby Chambliss, a former U.S. Senator from Georgia who a few months after 9/11, Chambliss told a reporter his plan for security after the terror attacks was to have sheriffs “arrest every Muslim crossing the state line.” After surviving this controversy by having President Bush, still riding on high approval ratings after 9/11, campaigning on his behalf on three separate occasions in the same election cycle. But where things truly got ugly was when Chambliss ran an advertisement that questioned Max Cleland’s commitment to national defense and homeland security, where images of Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were juxtaposed against photos of Cleland, as if he was supporting terrorists and dictators. This would have been the same Max Cleland who is a Vietnam veteran, and lost three limbs in the conflict while serving his country. The ad was disgusting enough to get massive criticism even from Chambliss' fellow Republicans, including Sen. Chuck Hagel and Sen. John McCain. Meanwhile, as much as a "patriot" as Chambliss liked to pretend to be, he voted against the Zadroga Bill to provide healthcare for 9/11 First Responders. During his career, Chambliss voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, and to attempt to make English the national language and voted for a constitutional amendment to allow government buildings to erect monuments of the Ten Commandments. He voted for the impeachment of President Bill Clinton for lying about having an affair with Monica Lewinsky. Chambliss co-sponsored the Iraq War Resolution in 2002, advocated for repealing federal income taxes, and instead, to place a 30% sales tax upon all items purchased in the United States, which. economists called this proposal "foolish", if not "crazy" and even some noted conservative commentators saying, "The national sales tax is crazier, by an order of magnitude, than any other crazy idea I’ve seen at the national level. It’s so crazy that even really crazy right-wingers think it’s pretty crazy." Chambliss also consistently voted to ban same sex marriage, and when asked if he would reconsider his position on the issue, and he offers the bizarre response of, "I’m not gay. So I’m not going to marry one." In June of 2013, during a hearing on sexual assaults occurring within our military against female service members, Sen. Chambliss blamed the phenomenon on "hormones", a disgustingly passé view of things. In August 2014 Chambliss was still willing to go on CBS' "Face the Nation" and defend the use of waterboarding, still insisting that it isn't torture. He retired a few months later.

On this date in both 2017, 2018, 2019, as well as in 2020, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” had its first profile of Missouri State Senator David Sater, whose name suddenly turned up in the press a full decade into his career back in 2014 during discussion of an anti-abortion measure in the Missouri state legislature he was sponsoring (an extension of a waiting period for abortions from 24 to 72 hours) that Sater argued against exceptions for pregnant rape victims getting an abortion, blaming them for not just going and getting the "Plan B" pill the day after their rape. That was only somewhat revolting, but became hypocritically disgusting when it was noted by many that David Sater has spent his entire career as a legislator consistently voting against blocking access to Plan B Contraceptives, including once sponsoring a bill to allow pharmacies to refuse to stock it. A few months later, David Sater was continuing to argue against exceptions against rape for his 72 hour waiting period by arguing that getting an abortion after a rape was akin to "knee surgery" that he himself was waiting on. Democrats in the chamber then asked if he needed 72 hours to rethink his knee getting operated on, and Sater admitted he actually didn't. We want to be thorough, here, the stories about David Sater downplaying rape and abortion as akin to his own elective surgical procedures are not the only examples of his extremism. In 2019, he submitted SB 561, which was a work requirement bill for food stamp recipients, however Sater decided that if a parent is unable to work, then not only would they lose their allotted food stamps, but so would their children. Because starving someone’s kids is a “great motivator”, in his inhuman logical mind. David Sater’s time in office came to an end due to the good fortune that Missouri’s state legislature has term limits. As he is now retired, we’ll set aside his profile and take a look at another kooky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 954-45, since this was established in July 2014.


Jay Allen

Welcome to what is the 954th profile here at “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day”, where we’ll be discussing Jay Allen, who was a failed 2020 candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Maine’s 1st Congressional District, hoping to knock Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree out of office. Allen is a longtime member of our military, and liked to think of himself as still honoring his oath to defend the Constitution, because in his mind, “Democrats were destroying the Constitution”. He never exactly explained what rights or freedoms Democrats were destroying, but Jay Allen is an actual physician who during the Covid-19 pandemic was claiming “Masks do not stop this virus – they may slow it down but they will not stop it.”

Suffice to say if anyone is reading this who is a patient of Dr. Allen, you need to find a new doctor, post haste. Because his politics mean more to him than your health.

Anyway, Allen pulling the upset was an unlikely task, as Maine’s 1st leans +8 Democratic in the Cook Partisan Voting Index. But maybe, just maybe, Allen was figuring if he landed some punches in a debate against her, maybe he would have a chance. And, during a discussion on how the United States might want to reconcile its problem with systemic racism in our country, Allen decided to explain that based on his experience in the military, there couldn’t be any racism because he saw people from all walks of life working together towards a common cause, including “Orientals” in his list of people of color.

”We had Orientals, we had Polynesians, we had Hispanics, we had African Americans.”

Suffice to say, if in your argument against systematic racism actually existing, you use a racial slur, you might be proving the point for your opponent.

But he wasn’t done being racist, as the moderator asked Allen why police are almost three times as likely to kill Black Americans then White Americans. His reply:

”Crime is committed by more African Americans, too. And it goes back to the fact that they are raised in homes that do not have fathers, that they do not have that principled leadership within the home.”

The moderator then asked him to clarify if he was saying police officer is more likely to shoot a Black because there isn’t a father in the home, and he was somehow even more racist:

“Less likely. They are less likely. Because they know if they shoot a Black person then they will face an inquisition if they shoot a Black person. So they need to be pretty sure that that Black person needs to be shot.”

Suffice to say, Rep. Pingree then wiped the floor with him when allowed to give a rebuttal, and went on to coast to victory over Jay Allen, who got all of 38% of the vote against her, which is probably 38% more than he deserved. We’re thinking this will be his first and only run for office.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

One man not granted a pardon was Tiger King. So Joe Exotic was denied a pardon . This is really a weird one since the audience for Trump would have popped massive for this and loving how he freed Tiger King. (Its likely Exotic's name never came up to Trump , cause if it had he would have granted it lol)

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Saw this on Twitter:

Screen Shot 2021-01-20 at 4.44.35 AM.jpg

[Mister Mets]

Fox News have started a round of layoffs that insiders are calling an ideological purge.

The big name so far is Chris Stirewalt, who called Arizona for Biden before anyone else did. I’m sure you all remember when Fox was the first network to call AZ for Biden. I do!

That may have been a premature call, given how close Arizona ended up being, but it prevented Trump from being taken seriously when he claimed victory.

That would be true if people actually took you at your word, but nobody trusts what you or any other Republican voter has to say about immigration anymore. I'm sure everyone here remembers how for the longest time the GOP wouldn't shut up about how they actually LOVED immigration and welcomed all people, but ONLY if they did it legally and didn't jump in line ahead of all the people who followed the rules. But lo and behold, you get a president that's willing to implement the draconian border security measures you always wanted, but now all of a sudden just shutting down illegal immigration isn't good enough, you want to place limits on legal immigration too, because holy hell you let one guy in and then with the chain migration and what not that's like a hundred other people who can sneak in behind him!

If people were to accept now that we need to set limits on immigration based on the needs of the economy, it is absolutely guaranteed that the same people who keep moving the goalposts will start going on about how it's NOT just about the economy and that we have a culture and a way of life that depends on preserving our ethnic makeup and that we cannot let our gene pool be diluted by these foreign hordes! And if we give in to that, those same people will be saying that it's not enough to shut down immigration, we need to be stripping all the people who are already here of their citizenship and sending them packing because they were never REALLY American to begin with! And you can imagine where it might go from there.

I've posted the polling data before, but here you go.

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics...g-both-parties

As of 2018, 40 percent of Democrats believed there should be an increase in legal immigration.

The survey found that the shift comes mostly from changing views of Democrats. Since 2006, the number of Democrats who believe legal immigration should increase doubled from 20 to 40 percent. Republicans views have also changed, but less drastically. Currently, 22 percent of Republicans support increasing legal immigration. Since 2006, the number of Republicans who believe legal immigration into the U.S. should be decreased fell from 43 to 33 percent.

However, about twice as many Republicans than Democrats are in favor of reducing legal immigration – 33 percent compared to 16 percent. Thirty-nine percent of respondents from both parties support keeping immigration at its present level.

55 percent of Democrats were in favor of keeping the number of legal immigrants the same, or even decreasing it.

Personally, I'm in favor of a modest increase in skills-based immigration. However, if the choice is between more restrictions and de facto open borders, I would go with more restrictions, even if my preference is less restrictions.

"Shy Trumpers" you say. Wow, clutch the pearls.



There isn't.



And they are:
https://www.theguardian.com/film/202...ers-jon-voight



The truth is that simply there aren't many far right Hollywood stars anymore. Some actors are probably centrist like McConnaughey and Dwayne Johnson but in the eye of the Trump disaster, even they had to vote Dem.

If the Republican party wants movie stars to support them they need to come to the center. In the classical Hollywood era when both parties -- Dems and GOP --- progressive and conservative wings and the California GOP of the time (the era of Earl Warren) you had Republicans like Cary Grant (who was publicly critical of McCarthyism) as well as John Wayne (a true wingnut albeit he was more welcoming to Hispanic-Americans).

I'm not sure what's pearl-clutching about noting that the number of people who vote for Trump in an area doesn't necessarily indicate open support within Hollywood.

Jon Voight's career really isn't on the level of Ruffalo. The Showtime series in which he had a supporting role was cancelled, and his latest projects haven't exactly been prestigious: a sequel to a Hallmark movie, and supporting roles in a Reagan film by the director of Cats and Dogs 3, and a film about Roe VS Wade by a first-time director.

[worstblogever]

That may have been a premature call

It wasn't. Because it was correct. Also, he shows his math. Just because it was inconvenient for Trump's election night narrative doesn't mean it was premature.

And we're talking about the same guy Karl Rove shook his fist at eight years earlier.

[Amadeus Arkham]

Today we will celebrate history. Kamala Harris will become not only the first woman to become VP but also the first black woman, and the first person of South Asian descent to achieve this position. Both Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff will become the first black and Jewish senators from Georgia respectively who will be sworn in by the first black, female, Indian, VP.

It’s kind of amazing how historical today will be even with the looming darkness of a pandemic and safety security concerns following a siege on the Capitol.