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

[worstblogever]

Tony Navarette

Tony Navarette was an Arizona State Senator for District 30 from 2019 through 2021, and prior to that, served one term in the Arizona House of Representatives, also in District 30, in the two years prior to that. He was a community organizer motivated to run for office by Trump flack Marco Gutierrez warning that if Latino culture wasn’t stopped there “would be taco trucks on every corner”.

Anyway, Navarette’s career came to a screeching halt after he was arrested and indicted on child sex charges from having allegedly molested two of his nephews. He’s likely going to be behind bars for a while, and if he makes it out in one piece, he’s got no chance of ever making a political comeback.


 

Abby Broyles
We’re going to make this brief, and with a disclaimer. Abby Broyles was a 2020 candidate for U.S. Senate, looking to unseat Sen. Jim Inhofe, and in 2022, was making a run for U.S. House of Representatives in Oklahoma’s 5th Congressional District. She’s a former television journalist who was looking to make a career in politics in the Sooner State, so she was always skating uphill given how red the state is. Everything came to a screeching halt, though, when a story emerged about Broyles being invited to a sleepover party being held for the daughter of a college friend over Valentine’s weekend in 2022, and she belligerently reamed out some of the teen girls present after having maybe a glass or two of wine more than she should have that made her hallucinate when mixed with medications she was taking, before Broyles started vomiting into a laundry hamper.

Now, in the wake of that, she dropped out of the race for OK-5, and has stated her need to focus on battling anorexia, anxiety, and alcoholism, which she’s been dealing with for decades.

We wish her the best in coming out of that fight happy and healthy.

[Catlady in training]

Syrian Mercenaries Deploy to Russia en Route to Ukrainian Battlefields

I've read that some of them even said they don't support the war, but do it for the money to take care of their families - they got promised a lot of money for their families if they die.
My take on it was: Where are all of the world's billionaires that like to compete in how few taxes they pay and how high their penis-shaped rockets fly? This is a chance to prove they have some shred of dignity, they could offer those soldiers double if they DONT fight. Wouldn't mean a thing for their wealth. How about Gates who likes to portray himself as a philanthropist, or Zuckerberg who is partially responsible for this mess with his contribution to information war? Or Musk who was all ready to chalenge Putin to a fight?

[Kirby101]

I've read that some of them even said they don't support the war, but do it for the money to take care of their families - they got promised a lot of money for their families if they die.
My take on it was: Where are all of the world's billionaires that like to compete in how few taxes they pay and how high their penis-shaped rockets fly? This is a chance to prove they have some shred of dignity, they could offer those soldiers double if they DONT fight. Wouldn't mean a thing for their wealth. How about Gates who likes to portray himself as a philanthropist, or Zuckerberg who is partially responsible for this mess with his contribution to information war? Or Musk who was all ready to chalenge Putin to a fight?

Here's the problem with your premise, they don't have a shred.

[Robotman]

Federal judge puts Florida on 10-year probation after ruling voting law disenfranchises Black voters

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that portions of the law restricting the use of ballot drop-boxes, assistance for voters, and third-party voter registration drives violated the Voting Rights Act and constitutional protections because they were passed "with the intent to discriminate against Black voters."

Walker also ruled that the state must get court approval for the next 10 years before it enacts any other changes related to these rules. The ruling effectively put Florida back under pre-clearance requirements that were imposed on states with a history of discrimination under the Voting Rights Act before the Supreme Court in 2013 struck down the preclearance rules in its Shelby County v. Holder decision.

Unfortunately Death-santos will probably win in the end because…

There is also no guarantee that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which leaned liberal before Trump packed the bench with conservative judges, will uphold the decision, much less the Trump-packed Supreme Court.

[Malvolio]

Federal judge puts Florida on 10-year probation after ruling voting law disenfranchises Black voters

U.S. District Judge Mark Walker ruled that portions of the law restricting the use of ballot drop-boxes, assistance for voters, and third-party voter registration drives violated the Voting Rights Act and constitutional protections because they were passed "with the intent to discriminate against Black voters."

Walker also ruled that the state must get court approval for the next 10 years before it enacts any other changes related to these rules. The ruling effectively put Florida back under pre-clearance requirements that were imposed on states with a history of discrimination under the Voting Rights Act before the Supreme Court in 2013 struck down the preclearance rules in its Shelby County v. Holder decision.

Unfortunately Death-santos will probably win in the end because…

There is also no guarantee that the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, which leaned liberal before Trump packed the bench with conservative judges, will uphold the decision, much less the Trump-packed Supreme Court.

My advice for Democrats fighting this battle: delay, delay, delay, at least until after the mid-term elections. Then maybe we'll have enough Democrats in the Florida legislature to change things for the better.

[CaptainEurope]

Be wary for today tis the day of fools. Dare not let yourselves be taken in by their pranks and shenanigans.

Hmph! Forgot what today is. Thanks for the warning, Tami!

The Eddy Grant story is NOT an April Fool's joke.
Business Insider has it, too, but the board censors their links for some reason.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

The Eddy Grant story is NOT an April Fool's joke.
Business Insider has it, too, but the board censors their links for some reason.

No matter, the end result figures to be the same. Trump will NEVER see the inside of a courtroom, not for the Eddy Grant story, not for 1/6, not for anything.

[CaptainEurope]

No matter, the end result figures to be the same. Trump will NEVER see the inside of a courtroom, not for the Eddy Grant story, not for 1/6, not for anything.

Remember that Al Capone did not go down over the murders.

[Mister Mets]

I've read that some of them even said they don't support the war, but do it for the money to take care of their families - they got promised a lot of money for their families if they die.
My take on it was: Where are all of the world's billionaires that like to compete in how few taxes they pay and how high their penis-shaped rockets fly? This is a chance to prove they have some shred of dignity, they could offer those soldiers double if they DONT fight. Wouldn't mean a thing for their wealth. How about Gates who likes to portray himself as a philanthropist, or Zuckerberg who is partially responsible for this mess with his contribution to information war? Or Musk who was all ready to chalenge Putin to a fight?

This is an interesting question.

Here would be a few counterarguments.
It would be expensive to pay every potential mercenary double. The number I've seen is that there may be 40,000. The promise is $7,000 a month. Taking everything at face value, the cost of doubling the fees would be $560,000,000 a month.
There are going to be other costs, including developing an administration to pay 40,000 foreign mercenaries.
There will likely be international legal implications with private citizens paying large numbers of mercenaries. It could lead to vulnerability to international lawsuits and war crime prosecutions.
I suspect the number of people willing to claim to be mercenaries to get $14,000 a month will exceed 40,000. Even if the Syrian mercenaries are paid, Putin would go try to hire other mercenaries, so the process would repeat itself.
A lot of wealth is not easily transferable. Elon Musk's net worth is due to the value of his stock. If it becomes apparent that he'll sell it, the value of the stock may decline. Selling shares could also diminish his power.

[CaptainEurope]

For years, Herschel Walker has told the same inspiring story: that he graduated in the top 1% of his class at the University of Georgia. He's told the story, according to a review of his speeches by CNN's KFile, during motivational speeches over the years and as recently as 2017. The only problem: it's not true.
Walker, who is a candidate in the Republican primary race for US Senate in Georgia, acknowledged in December that he did not graduate from Georgia after the Atlanta-Journal Constitution first reported that the false claim was listed on his campaign website.
But a CNN KFile review found that Walker himself has been repeating the claim for years. Walker's comments in 2017, and others made over the years, show the former football star repeatedly misrepresented his academic credentials.

GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker is a lying liar who lies a lot.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Remember that Al Capone did not go down over the murders.

I know, Capone was nabbed on income tax evasion. Thing is, he didn’t have an entire political party at his back, fiercely protecting him like a mother with a child like Trump has. That’s why he’ll never see the inside of a courtroom, never mind face any sort of prosecution.

[CaptainEurope]

I know, Capone was nabbed on income tax evasion. Thing is, he didn’t have an entire political party at his back, fiercely protecting him like a mother with a child like Trump has. That’s why he’ll never see the inside of a courtroom, never mind face any sort of prosecution.

He is not that powerful. You are buying into his hype.

[babyblob]

He is not that powerful. You are buying into his hype.

Its not at all buying into the hype.

There is not one thing he has done that made his party question him and drop him. The candidates for office in the GOP still court his support and followers. Heck every one of the GOP people running here in Ohio are falling all over themselves to talk about how much Trump loves them and how they are Trump GOP. Even JD Vance who has very publicly bashed and insulted Trump in the past.

No legal action for his actions in the 6th, the DOJ is not even as of yet going after his two advisors for contempt of Congress. I cant think of anything he has done that anyone is seriously going after him for. The investigation by the New York Ag? how is that going?

Trump will never be in cuffs, he will never do the prep walk.

If and a huge if that he does get arrested all he needs is a jury trial. Put a couple GOP cult members on the jury and a hung jury at best.

Going after Trump is going to take a 100 percent unshakable undoubtable proof and evidence and even then it is iffy.

Not hype. has a whole party behind him. Tons of little cult members that can be in a jury and the reluctance of law enforcement and judges going after a former president.

How many times have we heard, "This is the end of Trump, this is the smoking gun." Just to have him come out smiling and nothing happening.

[babyblob]

I am not sure where the myth that Trump's influence is going away and that somehow he will do something that will wake up the GOP and his cult to move on from him. I hear it on some of the talking heads a lot.

He was on video bragging about grabbing woman,
He asked a world leader for dirt on a political opponent, with held aid from the country when he didnt get what he wanted from them,
mishandled Covid by a huge degree,
buddies up to Russia and Putin many times,
Spread lies about a stolen election that has done real damage to this country because his ego couldnt take losing, His followers stormed the capital to stop the election from being certified, that same group threatened his VP with death, he called these people special and he loves them.
Supports hate groups and white supremists,
asked Putin who invaded a country without cause for dirt on the son of a political opponent,
the missing White House Call logs.

This is just the stuff that I can think of. I know there has to be more I am missing.

yet after all of this his supporters love him, the VP that his followers tried to kill kissed his ass like crazy after, the members of the GOP who were in the House and Senate at the time of the attacks openly talk about how much they love him how great he is and how the 6th terrorists need to be pardoned and released. Candidates around the country all over the country run ads about Being a Trump Republican run on a platform that sounds very Trump (The Wall, Anti Trans, Anti CRT, illegals stealing jobs and bringing crime and drugs into the country etc...)

So no Trump is not going any where, his support is not wanning.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Its not at all buying into the hype.

There is not one thing he has done that made his party question him and drop him. The candidates for office in the GOP still court his support and followers. Heck every one of the GOP people running here in Ohio are falling all over themselves to talk about how much Trump loves them and how they are Trump GOP. Even JD Vance who has very publicly bashed and insulted Trump in the past.

No legal action for his actions in the 6th, the DOJ is not even as of yet going after his two advisors for contempt of Congress. I cant think of anything he has done that anyone is seriously going after him for. The investigation by the New York Ag? how is that going?

Trump will never be in cuffs, he will never do the prep walk.

If and a huge if that he does get arrested all he needs is a jury trial. Put a couple GOP cult members on the jury and a hung jury at best.

Going after Trump is going to take a 100 percent unshakable undoubtable proof and evidence and even then it is iffy.

Not hype. has a whole party behind him. Tons of little cult members that can be in a jury and the reluctance of law enforcement and judges going after a former president.

How many times have we heard, "This is the end of Trump, this is the smoking gun." Just to have him come out smiling and nothing happening.

All of that, and more. Trump is more Teflon than John Gotti could ever be. Horrible as this sounds, but the only thing that can stop Trump from running in ‘24 is a heart attack, no one in the GQP will have the balls to challenge him for the nomination, not after what happened on 1/6. Trump will more than likely run unopposed, and his cult will be worked up to insane levels to get their leader back in the Oval Office.