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

[Robotman]

Three Republican Residents of The Villages Arrested for Casting Multiple 2020 Votes

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Three Republican Residents of The Villages Arrested for Casting Multiple 2020 Votes

But only Democrats cheat in elections.

[Mister Mets]

I have been seeing this story all over today. I laugh at the ones who texted mark upset at what is going on when pretty much everyone on that list has since the 6th been kissing Trumps ass, bashed the 6th Commission, have stated those arrested should be released and are in jail as part of the liberal agenda and nothing more etc... They are falling all over themselves forgiving Trump and his actions and those who took part in the 6th. So where is the out rage from them now? Oh it would hurt their ratings so they seem to have forgotten how upset they were. Screw them!

It is normal for people to be calmer after mature reflection when they're no longer in the moment.

AT least one country knows how to hold government officials accountable.

Former Immigration Minister in Denmark Sentenced to Prison for Separating Couples

In this case, the official did seem to violate local law.

This type of judicial decision would be unpopular in the United States.

The whole thing is pretty crazy and comes back to a point I made months ago, these talking heads and loud mouth conservatives aren't serious people.

They literally say one thing and completely do the opposite because of appearances.

They actually know what they are saying and what they stand for isn't right, true, or correct but they just go along with it to "own the libs". It's pathetic.

This is likely true of most commentators.

There's a divide seen in journalism with some people who want to be reporters, some people who want to be activists, and lines getting very blurred. We can see it in other places as well, including online forums, where some people are trying to understand the news, and others are trying to persuade people to follow their lead. An activist doesn't prioritize about neutral principles like innocent until proven guilty, or prosecutors working quietly on a case. It's more about what helps their side in a given moment. This is true of conservative commentators, but it's not the only ones this is true of.

[Mister Mets]

When one of your campaigns promises was "eliminate student loan debt" and then you announce "we want student loan payments again", that's not going to reflect well on people who voted for anyone who voted for that as a key issue.

Then again, Biden has not bothered to stir much fuss over raising the federal minimum wage, and he certainly made sure to get rid of community colleges as a free option from the "Build Back Better" deal.

Biden seemed to be the right of candidates promising to eliminate student debt in the presidential prim.

His main promise was to maybe reduce debt by ten thousand dollars.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/23/bide...c-service.html

He can't do any of that on his own, he needs Congress. Senators Manchin and Simena have made it clear they will not support any of those things. He did not get rid of those things, that is the only way the BBB could get enough votes to pass. How would you suggest he accomplish this without the Senate?

If Biden were in favor of erasing college debt, he could make the argument for why this is a good and necessary thing that all decent people should support.

His problem is that it's a bad argument. It favors people who are privileged (people who went to college made more money than people who didn't) while also benefitting progressive-leaning institutions that have done a terrible job.

The argument about government paying all student debt is that colleges cheated the students, so colleges should get all the money. It's a dangerous argument to make because it discourages people from paying their debts. Why do it now if President Kamala Harris might pay off your student loans ten years from now?

He has met with them repeatedly, they have not come around, there is not much he can do to them. Nothing you are saying they haven't heard. But the voices of their rich donors is louder.

I have to assume there are a lot of rich donors who would be happy with Democrats sending a lot of money to colleges, both in academia and on behalf of anyone interested in the potential spending bonanza when millions of Americans have more disposable income.

[Jack Dracula]

"Stand up how?" This keeps coming up. Biden is not "giving them power". The people gave them that power by not electing more Democrats.

Don’t you know yet that it’s still Biden’s fault because Democrats didn’t “excite” voters enough for them to get off their asses and vote for their own best interests.

[numberthirty]

"Stand up how?" This keeps coming up. Biden is not "giving them power". The people gave them that power by not electing more Democrats. He supposed to hold a press conference and call her a greedy traitor bitch everyday? Do we really think that will be productive? She going to cry and say yeah you are right lets dump this filibuster?

They have outsized power due to the voting demographics of the country and razor thin Democratic majority period. Popular things are getting cut, or not done for that reason alone.

And getting GOP support? I mean where have we been the last few years to even moderately think that is viable. GOP get cancelled and censured by their own party on even bipartisan bills. Where are you going to get enough GOP votes to supersede Manchin and Sinema not supporting something?

It will not happen and we all know it.

He could actually do some incredibly basic, common sense stuff.

The "Basics 101..." stuff, for starters?

He could be talking about BBB with the sort of frequency that Trump was telling us that "Infrastructure Week..." was on the way.

Because doing right around "Zilch..." like he has been?

That puts no pressure on her.

More than one way to attempt to skin a cat.

Accepting that reality will probably be far more productive than blaming voters and hoping they get excited by you trying to pin it on them.

[JB]

Senate votes to increase debt limit by $2.5 trillion extending into 2023
https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/14/polit...ine/index.html

The Senate voted on Tuesday to raise the national debt limit by $2.5 trillion and extend it into 2023 as lawmakers race to avert a catastrophic default ahead of a critical midweek deadline.

The House will next have to approve the legislation before it can be sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. The final tally for the Senate vote, which fell along party lines, was 50 to 49.

I honestly don't know why we even have a debt limit at this point. It'll keep getting increased forever it seems.

[numberthirty]

Taco Bell is poised to beat Dems on the draw. Take a minute to think about that...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciak...d-restaurants/

Taco Bell Commits To A $15-An-Hour Minimum Wage At Company-Owned Restaurants

[seismic-2]

I honestly don't know why we even have a debt limit at this point. It'll keep getting increased forever it seems.

We shouldn't have a debt limit. The debt has already been incurred (including programs approved during the Trump administration for which the bill is coming due), and so the current limit has to be raised to pay it off. That's all the debt limit is - a limit on the country's ability to pay its existing debt. Naturally, if that limit is less that the actual amount that is due, then the USA goes into default. That would cause Treasury Bond ratings to drop, resulting in those bonds' having to pay out higher interest rates from now on, and consequently inflation would take a huge jump upward. Increasing the debt limit just staves off a major blow to the economy, but the GOP portrays it to their base as "more new Government spending", which it isn't. The debt limit needs to be abolished once and for all - the country should just make its debt payments every time they come due, without the need for special legislation to enable it - but as long as the Republican Party can use a misrepresentation of what it is as a propaganda tool, then we shall go through this game of "chicken" in the weeks leading up to each payment date.

[Tami]

Taco Bell is poised to beat Dems on the draw. Take a minute to think about that...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/aliciak...d-restaurants/

I want my Taco Bell!!

[Jack Dracula]

A progressive may be mistaken and believe that their candidates can win landslides by being so obviously right.

That said, the argument is more fatalistic, about how things will be bad when Democrats do not win landslides. He is pretty clear that he believes landslides are necessary to offset the work by corrupt conservatives "Trump loyalists they elect to office are fixing the process so it will take absolute Democratic landslides in every election to keep our Democracy intact."

I do believe you've made obnoxious and incorrect claims about someone else's character. You should do the right thing and apologize.

Like I said you are being perhaps generous and literal for someone else who hasn't clarified. Mistaken perhaps but based on presumption. That speaks to character - righteousness. Which hardly fits with the skepticism that I would otherwise grant. I don't see how I would owe anyone an apology for their inconsistency and flagrant bias. I have my bias too and that includes the character of some left-wingers. As to fixing the process, I have already expressed that it has already been achieved by the Democratic party and holding on to it is the real debate before us.

[numberthirty]

I want my Taco Bell!!

There is a lot to love...

[babyblob]

This breaking from NBC news. A Federal judge tosses Trump Lawsuit to stop his taxes from being turned over to Congress.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...s-his-n1285973

The judge did also say that Trump has 14 days to file an appeal which I am sure he will do.

[Kirby101]

Taco Bell is poised to beat Dems on the draw. Take a minute to think about that...

What I am thinking about is that two (2) Democratic Senators are not voting for it, and every single other Democrat in Congress is. Meanwhile not a single Republican will vote to increase the minimum wage.
They were also prevented by the Parliamentarian from including it in reconciliation. But you do you.

And one small detail you failed to mention, only 7% of alk Taco Bells are Company owned. So this means diddly for the workers in the other 93%. But what has happened is Democrats in States like Washington and New York have raised the minimum wage.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, as well as 2020, “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day posted profiles of Cathrynn Brown, a former a board member of the anti-abortion association Right to Life of Carlsbad who first found her way into the New Mexico House of Representatives in the 2010 Tea Party Wave who in January 2013, submitted a bill that would punish any rape victim seeking an abortion with jail time on that they would be “tampering with evidence” from the crime. This, but only a few months after the downfall of Congressman Todd Akin, and RNC Chairman Reince Priebus pleading with his party members to please stop talking about rape. Brown tried chalking up the whole thing to a “misunderstanding” (yeah, a former board member of an anti-abortion group just ACCIDENTALLY did that) and then shelved her bill, scrubbing most of her social media profile and hoping everyone would forget she did such a thing when the 2014 elections rolled around, and she’d be able to be re-elected. It worked, and since, Brown has continued voting for abortion restrictions, sponsored stricter voter ID laws to combat the statistically non-existent problem of “voter fraud”, tried passing legislation to deny foreign nationals the ability to get drivers’ licenses, and even voted against minimum wage increases. In 2017, Brown showed she’s also terrible on LGBT rights, as she voted against a bill that banned gay conversion therapy in New Mexico.

She most recently has voted against expanding background checks on firearm purchases, and a bill that would require insurance companies to provide coverage that included paying for contraceptives for women. Brown is enough of an obstructionist that she even will vote against appropriates for Coronavirus relief for her own state.


Cathrynn Brown was re-elected to a sixth term in 2020 by the benefit of getting to run unopposed for the third straight election cycle. We have the rather disappointing news that she has bought into Donald Trump’s “Big Lie” and on January 6th, 2021, filed a vote certification challenge to try and prevent New Mexico’s electoral votes from being awarded to Joe Biden due to “electoral fraud” even though Biden won the state by double digits, and insisted there was “foul play” in her state, as well as others.

Again, we reiterate, Brown should have been run out of office back in 2014, and the longer she’s left in office, the more times she’s going to embarrass herself.