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

[MiddleMan]

I've had the thought based on, y'know, everything happening right now that the Republican Party have forgotten how to govern. They've also forgotten how to act like representatives of us in Congress, and apparently have taken to responding to criticism by trying to call people out into impromptu wrestling matches, like we're living in a constant episode of Monday Night Raw.

I'm not even f***ing kidding. Senator Ted Cruz is trying to imagine-book Congressman Jim Jordan into a match against motherf***ing Hellboy right now because he s*** talked a fail-son Congressman from Florida, Matt Gaetz, who's in the same heel stable.


These friggin' lunatics. This is what they're doing while tens of thousands of people are dying from Covid-19, and police violence continues to permeate the headlines. A bunch of f***ing children.

Ron would F them both up

[Tami]

I've had the thought based on, y'know, everything happening right now that the Republican Party have forgotten how to govern. They've also forgotten how to act like representatives of us in Congress, and apparently have taken to responding to criticism by trying to call people out into impromptu wrestling matches, like we're living in a constant episode of Monday Night Raw.

I'm not even f***ing kidding. Senator Ted Cruz is trying to imagine-book Congressman Jim Jordan into a match against motherf***ing Hellboy right now because he s*** talked a fail-son Congressman from Florida, Matt Gaetz, who's in the same heel stable.


These friggin' lunatics. This is what they're doing while tens of thousands of people are dying from Covid-19, and police violence continues to permeate the headlines. A bunch of f***ing children.

This was actually just discussed on Rachel Maddow's show.

The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics

Most American voters innocently assume the two major political parties are equally mature and responsible governing entities, ideological differences aside. That belief is due for an overhaul: over the past decade, the Republican Party has undergone an astonishing metamorphosis, one so baffling and complete that few have fully reckoned with the reality and its consequences.

Republicans, simply put, have quit governing. As MSNBC's Steve Benen charts in his groundbreaking new book, the contemporary GOP has become a "post-policy party." Republicans are effectively impostors, presenting themselves as officials who are ready to take seriously the substance of problem solving, but whose sole focus is the pursuit and maintenance of power. Astonishingly, they are winning–at the cost of pushing the political system to the breaking point.

Despite having billed itself as the "party of ideas," the Republican Party has walked away from the hard but necessary work of policymaking. It is disdainful of expertise and hostile toward evidence and arithmetic. It is tethered to few, if any, meaningful policy preferences. It does not know, and does not care, about how competing proposals should be crafted, scrutinized, or implemented. This policy nihilism dominated the party's posture throughout Barack Obama's presidency, which in turn opened the door to Donald Trump -- who would cement the GOP's post-policy status in ways that were difficult to even imagine a few years earlier.

The implications of this approach to governance are all-encompassing. Voters routinely elect Republicans such as Mitch McConnell and Mike Pence to powerful offices, expecting GOP policymakers to have the technocratic wherewithal to identify problems, weigh alternative solutions, forge coalitions, accept compromises, and apply some level of governmental competence, if not expertise. The party has consistently proven those hopes misguided.

[Tami]

Pence urged governors to echo a misleading claim about infection spikes.

Vice President Mike Pence encouraged governors on Monday to adopt the administration’s claim that increased testing helps account for the new coronavirus outbreak reports, even though evidence has shown that the explanation is misleading.

On a call with the governors, audio of which was obtained by The New York Times, Mr. Pence urged them “to continue to explain to your citizens the magnitude of the increase in testing” in addressing the new outbreaks.

And he asked them to “encourage people with the news that we’re safely reopening the country.”

In fact, seven-day averages in several states with outbreaks have increased since May 31, and in at least 14 states, the positive case rate is increasing faster than the increase in the average number of tests, according to an analysis of data collected by The New York Times.

The vice president played down the overall size of the outbreaks, stressing that some states were seeing what he called “intermittent” spikes of the virus.

[AnakinFlair]

I've had the thought based on, y'know, everything happening right now that the Republican Party have forgotten how to govern. They've also forgotten how to act like representatives of us in Congress, and apparently have taken to responding to criticism by trying to call people out into impromptu wrestling matches, like we're living in a constant episode of Monday Night Raw.

I'm not even f***ing kidding. Senator Ted Cruz is trying to imagine-book Congressman Jim Jordan into a match against motherf***ing Hellboy right now because he s*** talked a fail-son Congressman from Florida, Matt Gaetz, who's in the same heel stable.


These friggin' lunatics. This is what they're doing while tens of thousands of people are dying from Covid-19, and police violence continues to permeate the headlines. A bunch of f***ing children.

You just KNOW Vince McMahon wants to book that match for the next PPV.

[numberthirty]

This whole Ted Cruz gopher rodeo really worth two mentions?

Post #4087

Hahah I can’t anymore. I’m so done with this reality.


Ted Cruz challenges actor Ron Perlman to wrestle Jim Jordan for insulting Matt Gaetz.

It's bad enough that the dude is putting aside elected office to be a Dollar General "Mouth Of The South".

[worstblogever]

This whole Ted Cruz gopher rodeo really worth two mentions?

If the rest of us have to listen to one poster incessantly bash Hillary Clinton non-sequitir all the time across hundreds of posts for the past six years, please forgive me if we want to mention Senators acting like heel WWE managers rather than help the nation during a pandemic, as its actually relevant.

Please and thank you.

[numberthirty]

While I ain't really one to care...

Once you are yelling back at Bubba Ray Dudley when he is running his mouth in the ring and not just ignoring that he has even set foot in the ring?

Bubba came out on top.

That said, each person's call to make.

Past that...

It getting the mention is no biggie. It's the stupid stuff getting mentioned twice like it's brand new in less than ten posts that is a little bit of a drag.

Never mind the fact that "Actually Relevant" is something that the jury is out on.

[worstblogever]

This was actually just discussed on Rachel Maddow's show.

The Impostors: How Republicans Quit Governing and Seized American Politics

I mean, the timing of the Gaetz/Cruz/Jordan vs. Ron Perlman feud couldn't be better timed for Steve Benen's book release.

It's like one headline the capsulizes his entire book.

[Tami]

I mean, the timing of the Gaetz/Cruz/Jordan vs. Ron Perlman feud couldn't be better timed for Steve Benen's book release.

It's like one headline the capsulizes his entire book.

I just ordered the book online from B&N.

[numberthirty]

Went back through the day. Doesn't look like this came up. Since there was a bit of discussion a while back on if and when you could take police powers out of the equation for some of the things that are currently dealt with largely by police officers, it seems like it was worth bringing up. Feels like a small step in the right direction.

https://www.krqe.com/health/coronavi...ety-on-monday/

Mayor Keller announces new Albuquerque Community Safety Department

“When you call 911, all across America, the response is fire or police or both,” Keller said. “We’re adding a third response into that equation by developing a civilian, professionally trained approach, a public health approach really, to public safety.”

While the department is still just a concept, Mayor Keller says the city intends to create an agency that will dispatch unarmed, specially trained professionals to respond calls on mental health, drug addiction, public inebriation, homelessness, “down-and-outs,” and other low-priority calls like abandoned cars and traffic management. The Keller administration says the “cabinet-level department” will take armed police officers out of these situations so those police officers can focus on violent crime.

“We’re creating a new model for community safety that sends the right resource at the right time on the right call and that’s where our current two departments have always struggled,” Keller said.

“By sending police to all of these calls, we were doing more than overburdening these officers,” Nair said. “We were sending the message that a wide range of social issues including poverty, substance abuse, and behavioral health challenges were, in fact, criminal problems.”

Over the last several years, the city has launched several new initiatives to reduce police involvement in non-emergency situations. A pilot program called the “Crisis Outreach and Support Team” helped transfer more than 15,000 down-and-out calls from the police department to the fire department. Homeless encampment calls have also moved to homeless outreach teams.

“This whole concept of just asking the officer to get some training and do more for new problems… we’ve really gotta think about,” Keller said. “This is something different, we would hope that again, the non-violent, or non-criminal welfare checks could be done by unarmed civilians who are professionally trained.”

[Malvolio]

I applaud your cleverness!

[Darkspellmaster]

Situation with the hangings has me thinking that this may be a group trying to scare the BLM movement, voters, and others into silence and not voting because of Biden being up over Trump in polls.

[Darkspellmaster]

Wasn't there a Pink Ranger that was the leader in the US version?

My daughter hates the color pink. She loves anytime a purple ranger shows up and loves the current US Yellow Ranger because they share the same first name.

She's all about the current Green Gem Ranger in Japan, though. She's got a cool car Zord to boot.

Jennifer from Time Force, and both she and the pink time ranger from Japan's Time force was the leader of the team.

If your daughter is okay with Japanese shows, point out to her the new Kamen Rider Show, Valkyrie is part of the trio in Kamen Rider 01. Also check out Gokaijer (pirates one) and ToQger, the yellow in the Pirates ranger in Japan is the third in command and when Blue and red run off she is defacto leader. ToQger(train one) has the two girls being the bravest of the group.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump Rally Not Welcome Here, Snaps Tulsa Newspaper Editorial

“We don’t know why he chose Tulsa, but we can’t see any way that his visit will be good for the city,” says the Tulsa World editorial board. They don't know why? Seriously? I can tell you why in one word----JUNETEENTH! Meanwhile....

**********

Oklahoma Governor Invites Donald Trump To Visit Site Of Tulsa Race Massacre

The state representative for Tulsa told HuffPost that the president’s record shows a visit would be a bad idea. No ****, Sherlock!

**********

Tucker Carlson Dials Up Fear Factor In Ugly New Attack On Black Lives Matter

“They flood the streets with angry young people who break things, and they hurt anyone who gets in the way,” the Fox News host declared.

====================

Back on the COVID-19 beat:

Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Trump Rally Is ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ For Spread Of Coronavirus

“The highest risk sort of scenario would be sort of the situation we’re talking about here,” said CNN’s chief medical correspondent.

**********

Ingraham Calls Fauci ‘Medical Deep State,’ Tells Trump To Ignore Virus Rally Warnings

The Fox News host told the president and his campaign to ignore the “alarmist COVID drivel from here on out.” I guess Ms. Ignoramus didn't know about the waiver for attendees to sign absolving the Trump campaign of blame if anyone contracts the virus.

**********

Fox News Presses Larry Kudlow On COVID-19 Spikes After He Declared No Second Wave

OK, so there are “bumps,” conceded the White House economic adviser. That's like calling Mount Fuji a molehill.

**********

[worstblogever]

It was on this date in 2015 that "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" profiled former Iowa state legislator Henry Rayhons, who after racking up an impressive record as a staunch social conservative, hit the news wire with a story that made people feel a little more uncomfortable watching “The Notebook”. See, Rayhons’ wife was convalescing with dementia in a local nursing home, and after multiple advisements for him to not continue a sexual relationship with his wife because she would be too confused to consent (including having her doctor force Mr. Rayhons to sign a waiver that he understood that ship had sailed), Rayhons still went ahead and gave his wife a conjugal visit, and was reported for it by her roommate to staff. He was acquitted after an emotionally grueling trial, but it’s pretty hard to continue a political career after a news story like that. As such, we’ll just deem it as still “the most depressing episode of Law & Order: SVU ever”.


In both 2016, 2017, 2018, as well as 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” presented profiles of the current U.S. House Representative from Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District, Frank Lucas, who in 2013, floated his own paranoid bit of fiction when in a radio interview, he claimed that the Obama administration was “leading a conspiracy to buy up all the bullets so they’re not available to us”.

At the point Rep. Lucas was wetting his pants at the thought of this sinister takeover, the theory had already been debunked not just by the administration, but by the NRA (who you’d think would be the first to cry foul). Lucas was not content just to push this as a theory, actually trying to legislate based off of it to ban any federal agency outside of the Pentagon from buying ammunition (it didn’t pass, because, y’know, crazy talk). That was, of course, when he wasn't working supporters up into a lather on his own website about "the truth about Benghazi" for years after the attack took place.

Anyway, Lucas found his way into office in a special election prior to the 1994 mid-terms to replace Glenn English, and his upset victory for the GOP was considered to be a sign of the "Red Wave" to come in the '94 mid-terms. And, for the past 23 years, as his district has been gerrymandered to be more and more conservative (currently it sits at a “mere” +26 Republican lean), he's grown bolder and bolder in his conservative agenda, having voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, the impeachment of President Bill Clinton, a constitutional amendment to allow government buildings to erect monuments of the Ten Commandments, the Gramm-Leach-Billey Act (which repeals key parts of the Glass-Steagall Financial Regulation Act, and opened the door for big banks to create the 2007 Sub-Prime Mortgage Housing Crisis), the Iraq War Resolution, the Terry Schiavo Incapacitated Persons Protection Bill, and was a co-sponsor for a bill to create a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in 2006. Through most of the past decade, he’s voted against the Equal Pay Bill, the reauthorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program, denying health insurance to millions of children, against ENDA (allowing the continued discrimination of LGBT citizens based on their sexual identity in the workplace), against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, against the Hate Crimes Expansion that would provide protections to LGBT citizens against Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform, against increased regulations on offshore oil rigs after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, and against the DREAM Act, against the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". He has twice voted to defund Planned Parenthood, voted against the new version of the Violence Against Women Act, voted for the 2013 Government Shutdown and after 16 days, voted to keep the government closed. He’s also repeatedly voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, voted to try and stop Syrian Refugees from being resettled in our country, and voted to try and prevent the United Nations Agenda 21 treaty from being enacted because… well, conspiracy theories, I suppose.

This past year, Lucas didn’t just ignore scientific experts on climate change, but dismissed a World Health Organization report linking pesticides made by the manufacturer Monsanto, such as Roundup, as causing higher risk for cancer, calling it “shoddy work”. Big surprise, he receives donations to his campaign coffers from Monsanto.

Oklahoma’s 3rd Congressional District has a mere +26 Republican lean, per the Cook Partisan Voting Index, thus why he won re-election in 2018 by a scant 47 points. With a fresh two year term, Lucas assured that his voting record gets uglier by the day:

• January 23rd, 2019: Rep. Lucas voted against HR 648, because he was gleefully enjoying the longest government shutdown in history.
• February 28th, 2019: Frank Lucas votes against HR 1112, a bill which would have required universal background checks on all firearm purchases, and close the gun show loophole.
• March 14th, 2019: Rep. Lucas votes against HJR 46, which sane members of Congress voted for to reject Donald Trump’s “national emergency” regarding the U.S. border and his attempts to reallocate funds for a border wall without Congressional approval.
• April 4th, 2019: Frank Lucas is one of 158 Republicans who choose to vote against the re-authorization of the Violence Against Women Act, likely because they feel the 2nd Amendment remaining absolute is more important than preventing people with a history of domestic abuse from owning a firearm (which statistics show, makes them more likely to use those firearms against women in their lives).
• June 4th, 2019: Lucas votes against the Dreamers Act, because he’s too xenophobic and partisan to care about immigration reform.
• July 16th, 2019: Frank Lucas votes against a resolution to condemn Donald Trump for his racist statements that four people of color in Congress should “go back where they came from”.
• October 17th, 2019: Rep. Lucas is one of 60 Republicans who vote against HJ Res 77, which opposed Donald Trump’s disastrous decision to abandon Syrian Kurdish forces in Northeast Syria to the mercies of a Turkish invasion.
• October 23rd, 2019: Lucas is one of 41 Republicans who, while staring down the possibility of Donald Trump being impeached, stage a ridiculous publicity stunt in response by crashing a classified impeachment inquiry hearing for a “protest”.
• December 18th, 2019: Rep. Lucas ignores his Congressional duty to hold a president who has been proven to commit high crimes and misdemeanors accountable and votes against the impeachment of Donald Trump.

Considering that at his last town hall, Rep. Lucas was quoted as not just saying he would vote for the vanity project and waste of taxpayer dollars that is Donald Trump’s border wall, but that Trump was ”the reason I turned Republican. I want a businessman in there. I'm sick of the politicians", it seems like he’s cast his lot with Cheeto Mussolini. No matter how disastrous the downfall of Trump might be, though, his district is so red, that unless Lucas retires or sees a primary challenger who attacks him on his loyalty to the most corrupt president in American history, he’s regrettably not going to be leaving Washington anytime soon.