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

[zinderel]

If any Democratic member of the Senate will say “You can believe in whatever imaginary Sky Daddy you like." it would not help the party in the elections.

I'm curious how many members of the Senate you think would want to make that argument if they thought it might persuade voters.

We shouldn’t take belief in an imaginary friend seriously. We shouldn’t pussyfoot around dangerous beliefs just because we don’t want to offend people who have an imaginary friend and an imaginary enemy. Believe whatever you like, on your own time. But the moment you bring it into play against the people you are supposed to serve, your ‘faith’ is open to mockery and criticism. Also, I was being facetious, as you well know.

As to your curiosity? No you aren’t.

[godisawesome]

The only way Barret’s faith can be brought up in a critical way is by someone who has likewise unimpeachable credentials in the same faith - a Catholic to a Catholic.

The one kind of oblique attack in culture wars that is less likely to inflame the overall group is from the same culture.

[captchuck]

I'm upset because there will be 6 Catholics on the Supreme Court, but no Asgardian believers. Why isn't my Faith represented by the highest court in the land?

[godisawesome]

I'm upset because there will be 6 Catholics on the Supreme Court, but no Asgardian believers. Why isn't my Faith represented by the highest court in the land?

Because you haven’t spent the last 5-6 decades dedicating your political vote and aptitude to packing enough legislatures and executives to get them appointed of course!

In all seriousness, though, going after Barret for her faith won’t be an effective political maneuver in a necessary manner right now. Support for her or her nomination needs to be broken off, not used to galvanize the still currently locked out of power resistance. Cracks in the conservative coalition need to be hammered away at where they can be, not presented with a “common enemy” to unite against.

[captchuck]

Because you haven’t spent the last 5-6 decades dedicating your political vote and aptitude to packing enough legislatures and executives to get them appointed of course!

In all seriousness, though, going after Barret for her faith won’t be an effective political maneuver in a necessary manner right now. Support for her or her nomination needs to be broken off, not used to galvanize the still currently locked out of power resistance. Cracks in the conservative coalition need to be hammered away at where they can be, not presented with a “common enemy” to unite against.

I agree that this is true, but I hope the Democrats can find some creative ways to slow down this nomination. They could for example begin impeachment proceedings against both Barr and Trump. These would take precedence over a confirmation hearing, I believe.

[kidfresh512]

I agree that this is true, but I hope the Democrats can find some creative ways to slow down this nomination. They could for example begin impeachment proceedings against both Barr and Trump. These would take precedence over a confirmation hearing, I believe.

They can't slow it down till January even if they did all that. Assuming Biden and the Dems won Senate and presidency even. There is almost no hope she wont get confirmed

[worstblogever]

There's... there's a little hope I have.

Barrett got the nomination because Trump is trying to pander to suburban women for Republicans. She is a huge ideologue, and could go out there and say some outright egregious and obscene things about law in this hearing. Understandably, the GOP will push a nominee through no matter how ghoulish they might be. I'm like,

"On one hand, Barrett could be Bork, Kavanaugh, and Thomas hearing insanity rolled into one person, and the GOP would still probably push her through...

Then again, she's a woman, and if there's one thing that's proven true in politics is that women are still, for whatever stupid reason, held to a higher standard then men. It's not fair, but the ingrained misogyny in the GOP Senate could end up making them unable to commit to the third rail if she's that incompetent. They bailed on W on Harriet Myers, after all..."

Then I'm like, this is the end game. They're pushing her through.

[Hypestyle]

Imagine being so intellectually and morally bankrupt that you tried to conflate Democratic Socialism as an idea with anti-Semitism and Nazi sympathizing in practice.

We get it. You think Neo-Nazis in your party is fine.

unfortunately, so many people simply ignore the outright racism in the politically conservative social circles.


I wonder how much they will ignore the tax evasion "legal" or otherwise, that 45 has been engaging in now that the New York Times has finally started revealing stuff.

Barrett got the nomination because Trump is trying to pander to (white) suburban women for Republicans. She is a huge ideologue, and could go out there and say some outright egregious and obscene things about law in this hearing. Understandably, the GOP will push a nominee through no matter how ghoulish they might be. I'm like,

"On one hand, Barrett could be Bork, Kavanaugh, and Thomas hearing insanity rolled into one person, and the GOP would still probably push her through...

Then again, she's a woman, and if there's one thing that's proven true in politics is that women are still, for whatever stupid reason, held to a higher standard then men. It's not fair, but the ingrained misogyny in the GOP Senate could end up making them unable to commit to the third rail if she's that incompetent. They bailed on W on Harriet Myers, after all..."

Then I'm like, this is the end game. They're pushing her through.

I predict that most GOP senators will be just fine with fast-tracking Ms. Barrett's nomination and having an up-or-down vote on her. Even the "centrists" who thus far generally haven't really opposed anything that 45 has tried to do. Some have publicly pearl-clutched, but that's it. still voted for the big corporate tax cuts, etc.

I wouldn't be offended if a senator asked Judge Barrett her views on racial profiling. She has black adopted children. I'm sure she wants them to grow up in a world where they are not followed by police and targeted because of their race. Right?

[Tami]

"The Donald" a devil who steals souls for profit.

My son and I watched a 1992 "Eerie, Indiana" episode about a salesman called "The Donald" who comes to Eerie and turns everyone into consumer zombies who unknowingly sell him their souls. In the end, The Donald -- revealed to be the devil -- is caught by the IRS and goes to hell.

"What does The Donald want with our souls?"

"He doesn't have one of his own."

Twitter Link

[Malvolio]

I read on Twitter today that NY Senator Kristen Gillibrand is refusing to meet with Trump's Supreme Court pick because the whole process is illegitimate. Well, sure it is, but isn't the goal here to delay things until after the inauguration or at least until after the election? I mean, if every Democratic Senator met with Barrett, each on a different day, that would delay a vote until at least the second week of November. So much for using every arrow in their quiver.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

There's... there's a little hope I have.

Barrett got the nomination because Trump is trying to pander to suburban women for Republicans. She is a huge ideologue, and could go out there and say some outright egregious and obscene things about law in this hearing. Understandably, the GOP will push a nominee through no matter how ghoulish they might be. I'm like,

"On one hand, Barrett could be Bork, Kavanaugh, and Thomas hearing insanity rolled into one person, and the GOP would still probably push her through...

Then again, she's a woman, and if there's one thing that's proven true in politics is that women are still, for whatever stupid reason, held to a higher standard then men. It's not fair, but the ingrained misogyny in the GOP Senate could end up making them unable to commit to the third rail if she's that incompetent. They bailed on W on Harriet Myers, after all..."

Then I'm like, this is the end game. They're pushing her through.

She won’t. I know someone that was in her class at Notre Dame. She’s very conservative but she’s not a crackpot who is going to poop herself. For all her faults, she’s very qualified and intelligent. I’m very concerned at the optics in the confirmation process. Massive minefield

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump's taxes show chronic losses and years of Income Tax avoidance





Reading the article the most embarrassing parts of it for trump are the details of what a bad businessman he is. And it should highlight for everyday Americans how they have been taken for a ride by the GOP catering to these "rich people and corporations". The amount of money they get away with shifting around and covering up losses and the sheer magnitude of avoidance of paying their fair share while running companies into the ground is staggering here.

I mean while some of it may technically be legal....and parts may not be that's why hes being investigated. It highlights how shady the whole system is. And us regular folks don't have massive safety nets like this to cover up mistakes and mismanagement. We have to pay or go to jail get our stuff taken. He gets to claim hes rich and successful and hide the fact that hes a slimy bad businessman. We all know about the public bankruptcies. But he is a legit snake oil salesman.

Sweet baby Jesus! If any Joe Blow or Jane Q. Public pulled the slimy **** Trump had done, they’d be in prison. $750 in taxes paid the year he ran for president? Are you kidding me? I know there’s all sorts of loopholes out there, but that’s insane.

[worstblogever]

New York Times just published an article on 15 YEARS OF DONALD TRUMP'S TAX RETURNS.

It's worse than we thought.

• In 2016 and 2017, he paid all of $750 in income taxes.
• In 10 of the 15 years, he paid nothing.
• He earned about $450 million on the Apprentice. He's blown more than that amount on his properties.
• He owes $300 million in loans that come due to international lenders in 2022.
• He's earned $73 million since aking office on licensing deals where he's being paid by India, the Philippines, and Turkey (which may have something to do with why he's so sweet on Erdogan)
• He claimed $70,000 in credits for his hair care on the set of the Apprentice, and claimed another $95K for Ivanka's stylist.
• In 2012, he took out a $100 million mortgage on the commercial space in Trump Tower. He took nearly the entire amount as a payout, his tax records show. His company has paid more than $15 million in interest on the loan, but nothing on the principal. The full $100 million comes due in 2022 [...]
• The balances on those loans had not been paid down by the end of 2018. And the businesses carrying the bulk of the debt — the Doral golf resort ($125 million) and the Washington hotel ($160 million) — are struggling, which could make it difficult to find a lender willing to refinance it.
  

[godisawesome]

New York Times just published an article on 15 YEARS OF DONALD TRUMP'S TAX RETURNS.

It's worse than we thought.

• In 2016 and 2017, he paid all of $750 in income taxes.
• In 10 of the 15 years, he paid nothing.
• He earned about $450 million on the Apprentice. He's blown more than that amount on his properties.
• He owes $300 million in loans that come due to international lenders in 2022.
• He's earned $73 million since aking office on licensing deals where he's being paid by India, the Philippines, and Turkey (which may have something to do with why he's so sweet on Erdogan)
• He claimed $70,000 in credits for his hair care on the set of the Apprentice, and claimed another $95K for Ivanka's stylist.

I really hope Biden’s debate team coaches him to use this as the calm, cool, collected cut-down to any kind of business or economy argument Trump tries to make - a “The biggest welfare recipient in the room right now is the President, dependent on loopholes, corruption, and someone else’s paperwork to avoid being exposed as a failure at business... the kind of man who might make the short-sighted and disastrous decisions that not only fail to keep Americans alive during a pandemic, but also fails to even maintain the economy he wants to take credit for.”

[captchuck]

They can't slow it down till January even if they did all that. Assuming Biden and the Dems won Senate and presidency even. There is almost no hope she wont get confirmed

I bet there's some way. The Democrats have access to lots of lawyers and creative people. I hope they come up with something.
I'll continue pray to Odin and Thor, hoping that helps!