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

[Adam Allen]

I thought that replying to each tiny paragraph separately rather than collectively (so that it was clear in each case just what I was replying to) actually facilitated communication. However, if that mode of writing is what you consider important rather than what I actually wrote, then it is clear that in fact we are not communicating at all.

Any response I can think of now sounds sarcastic. I am going to take a break from posting.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I don't think we can set a time limit on when a vacancy is filled (for some of the reasons Mr. Mets pointed out, again think long-term and worst-case), nor can we keep the other party from obstructing. I get the instinct to want to have the ability to do things when we have control of some of the branches of government. But there are two things to consider. One: the way this government is run was decided centuries ago by a group of people wary of too much power being in the hands of a few and is conservative (small c) and slow and difficult to change for a reason. They wanted all things to be considered, they didn't want reactionary changes to law based on the current trends/attitudes, and they didn't want one election to allow a single group to change the way our country is governed.

While this is frustrating when you want change now or when quick action is called for (or on the depressingly common ongoing issues that needed to be fixed decades ago but are still waiting for action). But I can understand the reasoning and to some extent even agree with it. Second, you need to consider whatever you can do the other guys can do it as well. You get no monopoly on packing the Supreme Court with new Justices. If you "tie it to the number of circuits" as a convenient excuse to add liberal/centrist Justices I guarantee you the Republicans will find a reason to make it 20-25 and make it sound just as reasonable. You also don't want them to run roughshod when they get in power again (and of course, they will) without the ability to slow them down with the filibuster. You can't just put that on a shelf somewhere while we have Democratic control then pop it back out when they win control of Congress and the White House again. Rules apply to both sides.

Things are slow and difficult by design, and given what we just saw out of the Trump administration that's probably a good thing. Who knows how bad things would have gotten without safeguards in place against his worst instincts. How many times did he propose something only to be told he literally wasn't allowed to? You need to consider beyond the now.

Everything you said makes perfect sense. Still, there's no denying the frustration with the whole process, at least on my end anyway.

[4saken1]

I don't think we can set a time limit on when a vacancy is filled (for some of the reasons Mr. Mets pointed out, again think long-term and worst-case), nor can we keep the other party from obstructing. I get the instinct to want to have the ability to do things when we have control of some of the branches of government. But there are two things to consider. One: the way this government is run was decided centuries ago by a group of people wary of too much power being in the hands of a few and is conservative (small c) and slow and difficult to change for a reason. They wanted all things to be considered, they didn't want reactionary changes to law based on the current trends/attitudes, and they didn't want one election to allow a single group to change the way our country is governed.

While this is frustrating when you want change now or when quick action is called for (or on the depressingly common ongoing issues that needed to be fixed decades ago but are still waiting for action). But I can understand the reasoning and to some extent even agree with it. Second, you need to consider whatever you can do the other guys can do it as well. You get no monopoly on packing the Supreme Court with new Justices. If you "tie it to the number of circuits" as a convenient excuse to add liberal/centrist Justices I guarantee you the Republicans will find a reason to make it 20-25 and make it sound just as reasonable. You also don't want them to run roughshod when they get in power again (and of course, they will) without the ability to slow them down with the filibuster. You can't just put that on a shelf somewhere while we have Democratic control then pop it back out when they win control of Congress and the White House again. Rules apply to both sides.

Things are slow and difficult by design, and given what we just saw out of the Trump administration that's probably a good thing. Who knows how bad things would have gotten without safeguards in place against his worst instincts. How many times did he propose something only to be told he literally wasn't allowed to? You need to consider beyond the now.

At the same time, the fact that liberals aren't able to accomplish many things that they would like to while they are in power helps to feed the narrative that 'both sides are just as bad'. Personally, I think that our system of governance was set up more to preserve power among the elites than keeping any fleeting trendy views from upending our government. Disparity of representation in the Senate basically ensures that the will of the people will not supplant that of wealthy landowners in this country. Those few and far between small victories by the working class give the ignorant masses a feeling of 'free will' that this is the country wherein they actually decide the laws, not wealthy oligarchs. I dunno, plenty of other Western countries seem to operate much better without so many roadblocks. Maybe it's because the liberals in those countries are actually able to carry out the social programs that they promise in their campaign speeches.

[CaptainEurope]

The President was 78 during his inauguration. Should Biden resign on his 80th birthday?

Do you think it's a Republican Congress who gets to pick your replacement president?

Because that is not how this works. You should go to wikipedia and look up "Vice President."

[worstblogever]

Ohio GOP Congressman Steve Stivers has announced he'll be retiring from Congress next month to go take a job with the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/19/polit...man/index.html

I'll say I haven't profiled him, so he's not one of the worst. Which, is scarier that there are fewer sane members of the GOP Caucus and the list grows smaller all the time.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Jury In Derek Chauvin Trial Begins Deliberation As Minneapolis Braces For Verdict

The prosecution and the defense delivered their closing arguments in the high-profile trial regarding George Floyd’s death in May 2020. Meanwhile....

**********

Tucker Carlson Slammed Over ‘Lynching’ Comments About Derek Chauvin Trial

The Fox News personality accused the media of “lynching” the former Minneapolis police officer charged with murdering George Floyd. Carlson just needs to stop.

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Senior Oath Keeper Official Brags They Have ‘Active-Duty’ Law Enforcement Members

“We can blend in with our law enforcement,” Jim Arroyo told “60 Minutes.” “Our training is much more advanced because of our military backgrounds.” I don't know if that claim was bullshit, if it's not, then we have problems.

**********

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Controversial ‘Public Disorder’ Bill Into Law

Critics say the purported “anti-riot” bill is a direct attack on the First Amendment. Well, of course it is, a Qpublican drafted that bill.

**********

‘Fox Is Not News’: Brianna Keilar Lets Loose In CNN Morning Show Debut

The CNN anchor took Fox News to task for providing a “public disservice” with its misleading coverage and chyrons. No kidding!

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, as well as 2020, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of Kentucky State Senator C.B. Embry, who we recognized in our first profile as the sponsor of legislation that would offer a $2500 bounty on transgendered public school students using the "incorrect bathroom". This was in January 2015 (right after he won a new term in the state senate), and not long thereafter, he killed a bill about trying to decide how school superintendents are picked by trying to sneak an amendment on it for a ban on transgendered citizens using public bathrooms (sadly, Embry's brand of transphobic madness has now become the status quo of Republican domestic policy). Embry has also palled around with Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, supporting her homophobic quest against same sex marriage so much that he sponsored SB 5, a "religious freedom" law to allow for discrimination against LGBTQ citizens. Rounding out Embry's profile, he repeatedly has supported legislation to require mandatory (but medically unnecessary) ultrasounds on all abortions without exception, even, for victims of rape and incest, supported a TRAP law to attempt to shut down all abortion clinics in his state, wants concealed carry of firearms without a permit for all citizens, voted for a bill which would define first responders as a protected class in hate crimes legislation (which he really don't think it's bad, but the fact that he thinks it shouldn't apply to LGBTQ citizens, who are BORN gay, but it should apply to people based on their employment choices is troubling), and under his "legislative priorities" on Project Vote Smart, lists "the coal industry" as his top concern, which is as honest of him as it is downright sad for his constituents. In 2018, Embry supported legislation to ban abortion at 11 weeks, because if a 20-week ban will get overturned by the courts as unconstitional via Roe v. Wade, surely an eleven week ban would get the support of a judge, right? (NO.)

His current term in office has been marked with fanatical support for even more extreme anti-choice legislation than he’s ever supported, including sponsoring of a fetal heartbeat bill, to effectively outlaw the procedure at 6 weeks (before most women even know they’re pregnant), and a “Born-Alive Infant Protection Act”, which is of course, not based in reality of how abortions even work, whatsoever.

We’re expecting Embry to run for re-election in 2022 when he’ll be 81 and not be surprised if he keeps trying to overturn Roe v. Wade outright until his dying breath.

[Mister Mets]

Do you think it's a Republican Congress who gets to pick your replacement president?

Because that is not how this works. You should go to wikipedia and look up "Vice President."

I wasn't suggesting that Biden would be replaced by a Republican, just considering the implications of capping judicial and legislative positions at 80.

[CSTowle]

At the same time, the fact that liberals aren't able to accomplish many things that they would like to while they are in power helps to feed the narrative that 'both sides are just as bad'. Personally, I think that our system of governance was set up more to preserve power among the elites than keeping any fleeting trendy views from upending our government. Disparity of representation in the Senate basically ensures that the will of the people will not supplant that of wealthy landowners in this country. Those few and far between small victories by the working class give the ignorant masses a feeling of 'free will' that this is the country wherein they actually decide the laws, not wealthy oligarchs. I dunno, plenty of other Western countries seem to operate much better without so many roadblocks. Maybe it's because the liberals in those countries are actually able to carry out the social programs that they promise in their campaign speeches.

Believe me I get the frustration about the liberal side not getting things done. I think that's because (as you say) the folks in power make sure the farthest to the left leadership gets even in the Democratic Party are center-right candidates like Hillary Clinton or Joe Biden (both very cozy with big bankers, Silicon Valley, and Wall Street, both very pro military-industrial-complex and interventionist military action).

I don't know what the solution is for that problem, but I worry that breaking safeguards that as you say are there to protect the status quo is less likely to lead to a European style Social Democratic direction than it is a White, Christian version of a Taliban-style theocracy. Maybe alarmist, but again look at what we saw because of Trump from way more folk in this country than even my cynical @$$ would have expected beforehand.

[Tami]

What an idiot. Can't provide sympathy for someone who pretty much asked to be infected.

Coronavirus-Denier Ted Nugent Tests Positive For COVID-19: ‘I Thought I Was Dying’

Rock musician Ted Nugent announced he has tested positive for the coronavirus in a Facebook live video in which he repeatedly used racist slurs to refer to COVID-19, spit on the floor and promoted anti-vaccine conspiracy theories.

“Everybody told me that I should not announce this,” the conservative rocker said in the video on Monday.

Nugent, a staunch supporter of ex-President Donald Trump, previously called the pandemic a scam and has railed against public health restrictions.

“I have had flu symptoms for the last 10 days. I thought I was dying. I mean, just a clusterfuck,” Nugent said in the video. “I got the Chinese ****.”

Nugent said he had a “stuffed-up head” and “body aches.”

“My God, what a pain in the ass. I literally can hardly crawl out of bed the last few days. But I did, I crawled,” he said.

[Tami]

There are hundreds of posts about plans to attack the Capitol. Why hasn't this evidence been used in court?

WASHINGTON — FBI officials have repeatedly said they gathered no credible intelligence in the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection suggesting that pro-Trump extremists intended to storm the U.S. Capitol.

And even after months of intensive investigation, Justice Department prosecutors have presented no evidence so far that any of the 420 individuals charged to date for their actions on Jan. 6 planned in advance to attack the building in which Congress was certifying Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election.

But a new report by a private research group, and a separate review by NBC News, uncovered hundreds of social media posts discussing plans to move on the Capitol, including a map of the facility and talk of how to create a stampede that would overwhelm Capitol Police.

The posts raise new questions about whether the FBI missed or failed to act on these threats, and why federal prosecutors have so far said in court they have not determined whether anyone planned the attack in advance. A Justice Department spokesman and the FBI declined to comment.

"This information, sitting in plain sight on the internet before Jan. 6, paints a clear picture of a planned and coordinated violent attack," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who serves on the Judiciary Committee, said in a statement to NBC News. "It's important to understand how much of this the FBI and DOJ knew, when they knew it, and how they decided which pieces of information warranted action."

In the past, FBI officials have said that unattributed comments on social media don't always add up to credible intelligence, in part because many people fail to act on the things they say online. They also have pointed to what they call an unvetted "situational information" report from their Norfolk field office describing unspecified plans to make "war" on the Capitol that was sent to law enforcement agencies around the country the night before the riots. That shows they did offer some warning, they say, while acknowledging the report did not circulate at the highest levels of the FBI.

Critics say the FBI missed a torrent of threats online in the days leading up to Jan. 6.

[Tami]

During a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sheriff Grady Judd of Polk County tells new Florida residents "Don't register to vote and vote the stupid way you did up north."

Another variant of 'Your vote doesn't count and you will be punished unless you vote the way we tell you to vote.'

[CSTowle]

Honestly I bet for a lot of people in these states targeted by voter suppression laws the idea that they're trying to keep them from doing it might be more motivation to make sure they go out and actually do it. Seeing the other side running scared after the Georgia turnout kind of kills the cynical assumption that their vote doesn't matter and nothing's going to change in the Deep South. Clearly it does matter, and as long as Democratic leadership doesn't revert to the old "take their votes and pay lip service, then forget them for four years" routine of past election cycles it should mean their interests and opinions matter as well.

[AnakinFlair]

Active shooter situation in Long Island, NY. Apparently one dead, two wounded. Shooter currently on the loose.

[babyblob]

Active shooter situation in Long Island, NY. Apparently one dead, two wounded. Shooter currently on the loose.

It seems we are going for the active shooter every couple of days. But like the GOP says it is not guns that kill people.