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

[Kuro no Shinigami]

I support DC statehood. Eleanor Holmes Norton has represented Washington DC since 1991, but is not allowed to vote on bills, even if she's debated the bill, even if she's a sponsor of the bill! How ridiculous is that? Of course, if Washington DC weren't a Black majority city, we all know they would have been granted statehood long ago.

Yeah, the District of Columbia had a large African-American population even before the Civil War.

At least the DC still gets to vote in the presidential elections.

[PaulBullion]

Trump was told in March that Russia secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan, including US troops, but has taken no action in response.

https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/st...942842885?s=20

What he has done, though, is push for Russia to be allowed into the G7/G8 again. Knowing that Russia actively is working to get US soldiers killed.

[Steel Inquisitor]

All the VP choices are fucking terrible, but that's to be expected.

This is America, Communists were never an option. Thankfully.

The VP choice isn't going to cost Biden the election, just as it wouldn't have given him the win over Trump if things were the way they were a few months ago. This election is going to be decided by how badly people think Trump handled the COVID-19 pandemic, and it doesn't look good for him.

Never underestimate the Democrats snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, but with no end in sight for COVID-19, with new cases reaching a record high in the last twenty-four hours, Trump has cost himself reelection.

That's not entirely wrong, it's just that they're more electable then leftists by a wide margin so why bring it up? Perhaps, except you're forgetting the GOP and foreign actors like Russia doing everything to keep him there.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

This is America, Communists were never an option. Thankfully.

Yes, this is America, where Donald Trump can become President, and the Republicans continue to remain in power. How thankful we should be that America would accept neo-fascists before people calling themselves communists.

But I didn't even have communists in mind for a VP pick that wasn't terrible. I was only considering people were part of the Democratic party, or had been in recent years. Not even people that I thought were good, but good relative to who else makes up the Democratic party.

[Steel Inquisitor]

Yes, this is America, where Donald Trump can become President, and the Republicans continue to remain in power. How thankful we should be that America would accept neo-fascists before people calling themselves communists.

Trump isn't unique, he's a boiler plate Republican who just says the quiet part out loud. I don't want those fascists in power, either. The thing is the Democrats should have standards, and it's great that they don't lift the extremists on the left to that potential. So rather than America being at risk for two groups of fascists, they only have to worry about one.

But I didn't even have communists in mind for a VP pick that wasn't terrible. I was only considering people were part of the Democratic party, or had been in recent years. Not even people that I thought were good, but good relative to who else makes up the Democratic party.

Like who? The Democrats aren't perfect but they're not as bad as you suggest.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

Trump isn't unique, he's a boiler plate Republican who just says the quiet part out loud. I don't want those fascists in power, either. The thing is the Democrats should have standards, and it's great that they don't lift the extremists on the left to that potential. So rather than America being at risk for two groups of fascists, they only have to worry about one.

You're thankful for a political landscape that allow the Republicans to remain a major power in the country, and you buy right-wing dogma about communism = fascism, all while supporting the existence of fascist organizations like the United States police force.

Like who? The Democrats aren't perfect but they're not as bad as you suggest.

Compared to the current list.

Barbara Lee
Rashida Tlaib
Michelle Deatrick
Chokwe Lumumba
Pramila Jayapal

Just a few examples.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Governors Rely On Misleading Hospital Data To Assess Pandemic Capacity

Public health officials warn that statewide statistics can be deceiving as governors in Florida, Texas and Arizona deal with rocketing COVID-19 cases.

**********

Masks Could Become Illegal In North Carolina (Again) Under KKK-Inspired Law

A law created to prevent Ku Klux Klan members from wearing face masks could prevent COVID-related mask-wearing during a pandemic. Say WHAT?!?

**********

These Are The Most Common Symptoms Of COVID-19 Right Now

The CDC updated its official coronavirus symptom list. Curious to know what you should be concerned about? Here's a quick guide.

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Reporter Flames Pence For Trump Campaign’s COVID-19 Safety Hypocrisy

“How can you say the campaign is not part of the problem?” asked a CBS News journalist who pointed out few masks and no social distancing at Trump rallies.

**********

‘Morning Joe’ Speculates Trump May Quit Before He Gets Fired

MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough wondered, “Does [Trump] want to be elected president of the United States? Does he really want to be there?”

**********

Trump’s Use Of Pentagon Funds For His Border Wall Violated The Constitution, Court Rules

“The Executive Branch lacked independent Constitutional authority to authorize the transfer” of $2.5 billion, ruled a federal appeals court panel.

[worstblogever]

https://twitter.com/peterbakernyt/st...942842885?s=20

What he has done, though, is push for Russia to be allowed into the G7/G8 again. Knowing that Russia actively is working to get US soldiers killed.

bUt WhY wOn'T tHe LeFt StOp TrYiNg To LiNk TrUmP tO RuSsIa? tHeRe'S nO rEaSoN tO sUsPeCt ThErE's AnYtHiNg WiTh TrUmP aNd RuSsIA.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

bUt WhY wOn'T tHe LeFt StOp TrYiNg To LiNk TrUmP tO RuSsIa? tHeRe'S nO rEaSoN tO sUsPeCt ThErE's AnYtHiNg WiTh TrUmP aNd RuSsIA.

Meanwhile, cowardly Republicans are hiding under their desks en masse, unwilling to call out Trump on his part in that heinous business with Russia. I wonder what the Joint Chiefs think of this debacle?

[Steel Inquisitor]

You're thankful for a political landscape that allow the Republicans to remain a major power in the country, and you buy right-wing dogma about communism = fascism, all while supporting the existence of fascist organizations like the United States police force.

Don't warp what I said, I gave you a perfectly understandable caveat which denounced the GOP. I don't have to believe Republican smearing to not like Communists. All I have to do look at history books, they have just as bad track record as the conservatives do. I do believe we need a police force, however, it needs to be heavily reformed so it does the job properly rather than a breeding ground for white supremacy, racism and oppression. And it's not like Communists countries don't have their own police forces. And that's not getting into Communism's horrific past with the LGBT. I dislike Authoritarians on both sides of the political divide.

In 1972 Communism included countries like: Mao's China, the Soviet Union, and Castro's Cuba. Communism sounds good on paper, the examples of it in action are downright oppressive. They didn't free anybody and just because people who don't know about Communism because "The Man," who were another sort of horrible, mean it was good. She personally met with Castro himself, and got an award for the Soviet Union - one named after a dictator with a large bodycount.

She has great opinions, like destroying the prison-industrial complex and backing the Black Panthers but she also has suspect ones like supporting Jonestown.

https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=19027

STATEMENT OF ANGELA DAVIS
TO JIM JONES OVER RADIO PHONE-PATCH
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1977
This is Angela Davis. I would like to say to my friend Jim Jones and all my sisters and brothers from Peoples Temple who are in Guyana there: know that there are people here, not only in the San Francisco Bay Area but also across the country, who are supporting you, who are with you. I can personally speak for the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Oppression in cities throughout the country, from Birmingham, Alabama to (inaudible) that there are people who are aware of the contributions of Peoples Temple to our efforts to, for example, free Rev. Ben Chavis and the Wilmington 10. We know that you have participated and brought people to all the marches and demonstrations, and thousands of petitions that have been sent to government officials have been circulated and signed by members of Peoples Temple. And so we are very deeply obligated to you for what you have done to further the fight for justice, to further the struggle against oppression, to further the fight against racism.

I know you are in a very difficult situation right now and there is a conspiracy. A very profound conspiracy designed to destroy the contributions which you have made to our struggle. And this is why I must tell you that we feel that we are under attack as well. When you are attacked, it is because of your progressive stand, and we feel that it is directly an attack against us as well. Therefore, more of us need to know that we will be carrying on this idea, that we will do everything in our power to ensure your safety and your ability to keep on struggling.

(In response to loud ovations to hundreds of people with Jim Jones in the Guyana interior, Angela states I attempted to say, though not very eloquently, that we are with you, and we appreciate everything you have done. And we know you are going to win, and, in the final analysis, we are all going to win.

Compared to the current list.

Barbara Lee
Rashida Tlaib
Michelle Deatrick
Chokwe Lumumba
Pramila Jayapal

Just a few examples.

I like those three, don't know anything about the rest.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

Don't warp what I said, I gave you a perfectly understandable caveat which denounced the GOP. I don't have to believe Republican smearing to not like Communists. All I have to do look at history books, they have just as bad track record as the conservatives do. I do believe we need a police force, however, it needs to be heavily reformed so it does the job properly rather than a breeding ground for white supremacy, racism and oppression. And it's not like Communists countries don't have their own police forces. And that's not getting into Communism's horrific past with the LGBT. I dislike Authoritarians on both sides of the political divide.

There's nothing to warp.

You were thankful for the political landscape that exists in the US. The political landscape that got Trump elected, and in which Republicans thrive. Your caveat means nothing, maybe you'll also like to praise cancer, except for when it kills people.

The police can not be reformed, because a fascist organization can not be reformed.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled John Lloyd Ellis, the former Chairman of the Alabama Cherokee County Republican Party whose career ended when he was discovered to have a massive marijuana farm being operated out of his home by police. Last we heard, he was looking at a prison sentence of one to ten years.

On this date in 2016, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Alex Beinstein, who was a libertarian who filed as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, as a primary challenger to incumbent Congressman Scott Tipton, focusing almost entirely on a single issue… destroying all foreign relations between the United States and Saudi Arabia. Now, among the many Saudi-related conspiracies that Beinstein believes is that Saudi Arabia was behind the 9/11 attacks, helped protect Osama bin Laden while he was hiding in Pakistan, and are responsible for helping create ISIS. But how do they get away with it, you ask? Bribes. Bribes all over the place. Saudi princes have spent money to corrupt everyone from President Barack Obama and CNN’s Anderson Cooper to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Fox News leadership. Beinstein also told The Huffington Post that Bill Gates, Apple Inc., The Plaza Hotel in New York and the Four Seasons hotel chain are among other alleged lackeys of the kingdom. (Let’s not even get started on Hillary Clinton.) Beinstein compares cutting ties to Saudi Arabia as to when the United States chose to stop doing business with Nazi Germany, so we’ll add a little dash of Godwin’s Law to his wacky mix. And of course, Beinstein said his primary opponent, Tipton, was in on the conspiracy, and his evidence was… Tipton has failed to publicly condemn Saudi Arabia. Beinstein, being a libertarian, also has thoughts on gun control… he’s against all of it, specifically even arguing against the idea that those deemed mentally ill or incompetent should still be allowed to have their 2nd Amendment rights. (We suspect this might be because a psychologist might one day recommend Beinstein not have firearms, since he’s already showing some signs of needing to shop for real estate with padded walls.) Beinstein managed a meager 21% of the vote against Tipton in the 2016 GOP primary for that Congressional seat.

On this date in 2017, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” posted a profile of Paul Blair, a radical anti-gay pastor from Oklahoma who has twice run for the Oklahoma State Senate, and a big ally of State Rep. Sally Kern, who proudly spoke of her political credentials (i.e. her dedication to oppressing the LGBT community) at the “Rally for Sally” back in 2008. You see, he was all lathered up after she said that gays represent a bigger threat to America than terrorism (since gay rights made people like Blair and Kern victims). Blair is a former player for the Chicago Bears (and could easily be operating under the effects of long term head injuries), the pastor of Fairview Baptist Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, the founder of Reclaiming Oklahoma for Christ, head of the Reclaiming America For Christ organization. He's also appeared at an anti-hate crimes “Rally for Religious Freedom” where he and anti-gay activists vowed never to stop fighting homosexuality and challenged the Justice Department to prosecute them. Blair was the driving force behind a video called “The Criminalization of Christianity” in which he warns that hate crimes legislation is actually a “Pedophile Protection Act”, would “make it possible for a pastor to be prosecuted for doing nothing more than preaching a Biblical sermon on Sunday”. Which would be breaking a commandment about bearing false witness, because hate crime legislation does nothing to criminalize free speech (because that would be an unconstitutional violation of the 1st Amendment now, wouldn't it?) But it would seem that lying is a frequent habit of Pastor Blair, who claims he receives death threats from the gay community over his stance (that are repeatedly unfounded). And that's when Blair tried saying the unsubstantiated death threats were his motivation for making himself a 2012 candidate for the Oklahoma State Senate (endorsed by that anti-gay hate group, the Family Research Council), where he lost in the Republican Primary, earning a shockingly impressive 43% of the vote. Some of the more disturbing and/or homophobic quotes from Paul Blair's most bats*** speeches include that "The Devil is behind gay rights and gay culture", before whining how America has gone from "Ozzie and Harriet to Desperate Housewives" and "from True Grit to Brokeback Mountain", claiming that the “communists” are trying to “inculcate homosexual values, or lack of values, into the American culture” in order “to destroy the family” and create “a global utopia", adding that "Satan is the source and ultimate conspirator” behind “the force of communism, the force of the radical homosexual agenda, the secularist movement in America.", and of course, comparing his battle against gay marriage to be similar to “the fight against slavery and Nazi Germany”. Paul Blair has also promoted conspiracy theories about how our government deliberately launches EMP attacks against conservative Christians, and that Jade Helm 15 and began promoting the alternative history that the ancient Israelites had a Constitutional Republic. It takes an extremist to be too far to the right in Oklahoma, but Paul Blair manages to pull it off.

On this date in 2018, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled the former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan’s 11th District, Dave Trott, who was first elected back in 2014, when the GOP were desperate for a sane candidate to replace the far more bizarre CSGOPOTD legend Kerry Bentivolio. Trott just straight up outspent Benvolio in the 2014 Primary for this seat by a ratio of 25-1 and took his infamous reputation as being “Michigan’s foreclosure king" who got rich during the Great Recession of ’07 and ’08 by preying on homeowners who couldn’t afford to pay their mortgage and were being evicted from their homes, including signing off on the paperwork to evict a 101 year old Detroit woman from her home, leaving her belongings in the street.. In many ways, that’s actually a perfect representation of modern Republican values. While in Congress, Trott’s voting record exemplifies that “rich white men first” mentality, trying to repeal the ACA and defund Planned Parenthood among many other stereotypically conservative measures. Only about seven weeks into Dave Trott’s second term in office that he was caught on a hot mic with aides after a tense town hall talking to advisers about how the protesters who showed up to complain about their Congressman ignoring the working class were “un-American”. One of his aides claimed it was his voice on the recording (maybe, maybe not)… but needless to say, Trott didn’t have the courage to ever host another town hall after kicking the hornet’s nest and announced his retirement after only two terms in office in September of 2017.

On this date in 2019, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Ron Beaty, a human thumb with hair and Republican candidate for the Massachusetts state legislature, who lost in an attempt to get elected to the Massachusetts State Senate the 2014 general election. That bid seemed like a long shot even with the GOP having political momentum that year, because Beaty served a 16 month prison sentence back in 1991 for making death threats against Republican President George H.W. Bush, the late Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy, and Massachusetts State Senator Lois Pines. Beaty was trying his luck again to pull an upset in 2018 even in the face of the forecasted Blue Wave to represent the Cape and Islands district of the state,. With the momentum Donald Trump showed in 2016, Beaty hoped as a fellow member of the “bloated old white guy” demographic, that he could ride the white nationalist coattails of Trump into a second chance at political success beyond just being a County Commissioner, branding himself as “Deplorable and Proud of It”. Go figure, Beaty lives up to that promise. Because in the weeks after the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, Beaty took to Twitter to call shooting survivor David Hogg “a communist pig” for his anti-gun advocacy. He refused to apologize, and ignored calls to resign as County Commissioner. The only good news to come out of that is… Beaty became as politically radioactive as Chernobyl as a result, and lost the GOP Primary in 2018 for the state legislature with only 21% of the vote. Still, after the election, and prior to us having printed this article, he made the news again in April of 2019, when he again took to social media to suggest that LGBTQ Americans cannot serve in political office, because they are "too self-absorbed and self-centered”. Yet again, Ron Beaty refused to apologize or resign from his position as County Commissioner. Instead, he defended his Twitter post, comparing it to the sorts of things Donald Trump posts about. As Beaty seems to have an infinitely small chance of ever being elected to office, we will retire his profile at this time and take a look at another wacky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 883-45, since this was established in July 2014.)

[worstblogever]

Lynne DiSanto aka Numerous Aliases

Welcome to what is the 883rd original profile here at “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day”, where we’ll be discussing Lynne DiSanto, the former model turned owner of a modeling agency in Rapid City, South Dakota, who was a member of the South Dakota House of Representatives from District 35 elected three times in 2014, 2016, and 2018. In that time, she racked up a voting record that was unabashedly pro-gun, anti-choice, and anti-union. and she once sponsored legislation to ban educating school children about what gender dysphoria was for kids up to 7th grade (because heaven forbid the existence of transgender children be allowed) and supported a transphobic bathroom ban. She was also repeatedly a source of controversy, for reasons that show a general lack of empathy normally only seen in sociopaths.

Let’s start with how on her own Facebook page back on September 7th, 2017, where she posted an “All Lives Splatter” meme, upset about protesters at Standing Rock blocking the highways in South Dakota, and, y’know, generally just mocking the Black Lives Matter movement and peaceful protesters who apparently deserved to be run over for doing so. Now, in many instances of conservatives who shared this sort of meme or supported legislation to make it legal for drivers to run over protesters was “B.C.”, or “Before Charlottesville”, Lynne DiSanto shared the meme only a few days AFTER Heather Heyer was murdered in such a scenario.

So… editorial opinion: F*** DiSanto.

She faced calls to resign and refused, and within a few months, she needed a new cause. And this… is where things start getting strange. In January of 2019, a nine-year old girl in foster care named Serenity Dennard ran away from the facility where she was staying, and is still, as of the writing of this article, missing. Police searches could not find her, and the theory in the community is that she may have wandered into the woods and froze to death. However, Lynne DiSanto saw a cause that she could invest herself into, and by that we mean “exploit for political gain”. Lyn soon started a Facebook page titled, “Lyn seeks Truth” in May of 2019, and soon registered the domain name for a website lynneseekstruth.com, where she would conduct interviews and organize searches for Serenity. The local police, however, seemed to have the opinion that these civilian gatherings were potentially trampling on potential evidence and were in no way helpful other than, y’know, perhaps setting Lynne up to take Nancy Grace’s job one day. Thus, a constituent posted on DiSanto’s Facebook group page that it was pretty evil to exploit a kid’s death like she was doing… and Lynne had the level-headed response to tell her, “I see you live close to me!!! Awesome! I’ll be stopping by to say Hi so we can talk face to face soon.” And so it was that her constituent filed a police report to get a “no trespass” order to keep DiSanto off her property.

But DiSanto was not to be stopped in her quest to become infamous while hunting for Serenity Dennard and online views and likes. She tracked down her biological mother, who was in a state correctional facility, and met with her to get some more background about Serenity from the woman who gave birth to her… and illegally videotaped their conversation against the policies of the State Department of Corrections. DiSanto claimed she was given permission to do so, but was temporarily banned from visiting inmates. She, of course, played the victim the whole time.

Our story ends with, oddly, Lynne DiSanto separating from her husband on September 5, 2019, legally changing her name to Lyndi DiSanto, separating from her husband Mark DiSanto, and resigning from the South Dakota legislature to move to Montana and beginning a career in real estate there. Currently, she is going by the name Lyndi Meyer, but has also been known by the names Lyn DiSanto, Lynne Hix-DiSanto, and Lynne Hix. Her Facebook group has been renamed as well, and seems to have a varied interest in positing weird theories about random missing persons and paranoid conspiracies. We will not, however, publish its name, because she doesn’t deserve to have it promoted.

[Steel Inquisitor]

There's nothing to warp.

You were thankful for the political landscape that exists in the US. The political landscape that got Trump elected, and in which Republicans thrive. Your caveat means nothing, maybe you'll also like to praise cancer, except for when it kills people.

Twisting my words, again. It means nothing to you since acknowledging the grey areas of my opinion defuses your instance that Communism will fix everything. I'm thankful whenever fascists are never allowed power, I just wish such a barrier affected the Republicans, as well. Your argument lacks merit when it would replace Trump with someone like Stalin.

No reaction to Davis' supporting Jonestown. Shouldn't we all stand up to ideologies that oppress people? Whether it be the police, cults or Trump, they all should be fought against.

The police can not be reformed, because a fascist organization can not be reformed.

This falls flat when you're supporting an ideology which created the Stasi.

Edit: No mention of the LGBT thrown under the bus with Communism, either.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

Twisting my words, again.

It means nothing to you since acknowledging the grey areas of my opinion defuses your instance that Communism will fix everything.

I never said anything resembling that, but you fail so consistently at understanding the simplest of posts, so I shouldn't be surprised at you doing it again.

I'm thankful whenever fascists are never allowed power, I just wish such a barrier affected the Republicans, as well. Your argument lacks merit when it would replace Trump with someone like Stalin.

Any communist ≠ Stalin

You're a product of America's right-wing, so again, I shouldn't be surprised that you can't tell the difference.