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

[Tami]

California’s assault weapons ban overturned as federal judge compares AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife

WT....???

A federal judge Friday night overturned California’s longtime ban on assault weapons, saying the state’s law was unconstitutional and that prohibiting such firearms for decades was “a failed experiment.”

In a 94-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Roger Benitez of the Southern District of California said that sections of the state ban in place since 1989 regarding military-style rifles violate the Second Amendment. Benitez characterized the assault weapons Californians are barred from using as not “bazookas, howitzers or machine guns” but rather “fairly ordinary, popular, modern rifles.”

The judge then compared an AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife.

“Like the Swiss Army Knife, the popular AR-15 rifle is a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment,” Benitez said in the ruling.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/06/05/ California -assault-weapons-ban-overturned/

Just eliminate the spaces.

[captchuck]

California’s assault weapons ban overturned as federal judge compares AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife

WT....???

Yeah, exactly. That federal judge should be removed if that's the best he can come up with.

[babyblob]

California’s assault weapons ban overturned as federal judge compares AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife

WT....???

Hoemland defense equipment? Isnt that our army and national guard are for?

[babyblob]

What Senate members have done stuff that would get them arrested if they weren't Senate members?

It is legal to say stupid things.

Relax mets I was being an ass

[CSTowle]

Don't know that he's a Trump/McConnell appointed judge, but that's the sort of nonsense we're going to have to live with for decades after his fat orange stain has faded from everyday politics.

[Tami]

Biden administration moves to bring back endangered species protections undone under Trump

The Biden administration announced plans on Friday to reverse policies implemented under President Donald Trump that weakened the Endangered Species Act, a half-century-old law credited with the recovery of the bald eagle, humpback whale, grizzly bear and dozens of other species.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service under President Biden are moving to undo much of the Trump administration’s work that altered the ways habitats of plants and animals on the verge of extinction are kept from total collapse.

The decision to bolster the federal government’s power to protect vanishing plants and animals comes as the world finds itself in the midst of what United Nations scientists say is a worldwide decline in biodiversity that threatens to erode food systems and other key parts of the global economy.

[Tami]

Why George P. Bush's new campaign in Texas stands out

Ordinarily, a primary race in a state attorney general election wouldn't generate national news, but the fight brewing in Texas has significance far outside the Lone Star State.

The incumbent is Texas A.G. Ken Paxton (R), who was already under indictment on felony securities fraud charges when members of his own team made multiple criminal allegations against him. In December, FBI agents arrived at Paxton's door.

He's running for re-election anyway, but he'll have an intra-party rival from a notable political family. The Associated Press reported overnight:

George P. Bush on Wednesday launched his next political move: a run for Texas attorney general in 2022 that puts the scion of a Republican dynasty against a GOP incumbent shadowed by securities fraud charges and an FBI investigation.

In terms of the family tree, George P. Bush is the son of a governor (Jeb Bush), the nephew of a president (George W. Bush), the grandson of a president (George H.W. Bush), and the great grandson of a senator (Prescott Bush).

The key difference, however, is that George P. Bush, unlike other high-profile members of his family, has gone out of his way to ingratiate himself with Donald Trump, including endorsing his possible 2024 candidacy. Politico reported last week that the former president has noticed the Texan's sycophantic efforts:

"...George P. has played this exactly right, and he's definitely more conservative than his dad, and Trump knows that," said one Trump confidante who discussed the race with him recently. "But I can tell you the president enjoys the prospect of knowing how much it kills Jeb that his son has to bend the knee and kiss the ring. Who's your daddy? Trump loves that."

[Mister Mets]

California’s assault weapons ban overturned as federal judge compares AR-15 to a Swiss Army knife

WT....???

Strange that California is ****ed out in the link.

There's some commentary on this from analyst Ken White, as a reminder to focus on the legal questions.

Judge Benitez’ ruling is written in an accessible way — very deliberately, I think — and non-lawyers can read it and follow the law and how Judge Benitez reaches his conclusions, whether you agree with them or not. People who care about the issue should do so.

“I don’t care how he got there, I don’t like this result” is an abdication of civic participation. The rule of law is about identifying the rules that were applied, and how they were applied, and identifying your point of disagreement, rather than calling the result wrong.

“I don’t care how he got there, it’s obviously ridiculous” may feel emotively satisfying but it’s how you further normalize rejecting the rule of law — including many rules that protect you.

Without comment on either the precedents Judge Benitez relies on, or how he applies them, I think he does a good job explaining in an accessible way the rules he’s applying and how he thinks they apply.

With an exception.

The “Swiss Army knife” line at the start of the opinion is an example of a rhetorical flourish that becomes the story and overwhelms the analysis. It is, with all respect to Judge Benitez, a self-indulgence and does not assist with clarity or understanding.

If you hate this ruling, the rule-of-law-supporting thing to do would be to read it, identify what specific underlying rule or conclusion you don’t like (“Heller was wrong” “the commonly used rule is wrong”) and think about how that would be changed within the rule of law.

[Tami]

The site is weird in terms of what words are allowable and what words are blanked out.

[Kirby101]

As I have said NRA - 2nd Amendment advocates ignore the Well Regulated part and think there should be NO restrictions on firearm ownership.
Heller was an travesty by Scalia, and there are reams of articles and scholarly writings pointing out how wrong he was. Easy to Google.

Here John Yonchuck tells White where he got it wrong.
https://twitter.com/No1Lion99/status...27243192524801

Ok first problem: Heller makes up complete bullshit right here. Heller invented this out of whole cloth.

I’m sorry what? Total horseshit. Just because the right manufactured millions of them explicitly for public consumption has no bearing on how dangerous or what their primary purpose is. Just total non sequitor gibberish.

[Tami]

As I have said NRA - 2nd Amendment advocates ignore the Well Regulated part and think there should be NO restrictions on firearm ownership.
Heller was an travesty by Scalia, and there are reams of articles and scholarly writings pointing out how wrong he was. Easy to Google.

Here John Yonchuck tells White where he got it wrong.
https://twitter.com/No1Lion99/status...27243192524801

Here is Kurt Eichenwald's Discussion Thread on the subject

[Tami]

Acosta to Trump: 'You are not well, sir. You need to get over this'

I'd recommend watching the whole video.

[Tami]

Kemp booed and Raffensperger censured at Georgia GOP convention

Washington, DC (CNN)Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp was booed and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was censured at the Georgia GOP convention Saturday, demonstrating former President Donald Trump's hold over members of the Georgia Republican Party.

The reaction from members of the Georgia GOP comes months after both Kemp and Raffensperger refused to help the former President overturn the election results after his loss to President Joe Biden. Trump has endorsed one of Raffensperger's primary opponents, GOP Rep. Jody Hice, who has embraced the ex-President's falsehoods about the election.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Kemp was greeted with boos so loud as he spoke at the convention that it was difficult to hear his speech from the press area for about 30 seconds. And while Kemp dodged any formal vote of disapproval, Raffensperger was officially censured Saturday due to "dereliction of his constitutional duty," according to the newspaper.

A copy of the resolution obtained by the newspaper calls on Kemp and all elected officials to "repair the damage that has been done and commit themselves to securing Georgia's elections."

The animosity toward Kemp and Raffensperger from Georgia Republicans on Saturday mirrors the hostility faced by other GOP leaders who have spoken out against the former President.

[numberthirty]

Acosta to Trump: 'You are not well, sir. You need to get over this'

I'd recommend watching the whole video.

Man...

Acosta really needs to start cutting Trump in on a percentage of whatever he makes.

What is he going to do if the guy kicks the bucket?

[Tami]

Man...

Acosta really needs to start cutting Trump in on a percentage of whatever he makes.

What is he going to do if the guy kicks the bucket?

There is always someone, just ask WBE. He has a long list of parody-worthy head cases.