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

[Mister Mets]

Oh, I totally agree with the lesser of two evils standpoint. The US has done a lot of bad things, we could fill countless pages of comments with that. But as a citizen of Western Europe, I would much rather have the US as an ally, over the likes of Russia or China. And if I had to move, I would much rather live in the US than in China or Russia; I mean, just look at the fact that internet is censored in China (“The Great Firewall”) and there isn’t really democracy there.

Speaking of China, there's an interesting development in a new party conference where former President Hu Yintao is basically kicked out of the room.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/10/22/china...hnk/index.html

For obvious reasons, this development is heavily censored in China.

The Economist made an excellent podcast about the background of current leader Xi Jinping, which is a fascinating story that I highly recommend.

[Tami]

A 90-something in line of presidential succession? Experts say it’s time for a change.

If Democrats thread the needle just right next month, Sen. Dianne Feinstein would be in line for a prominent prize.

The Californian, as the most senior Democrat in her caucus come January, could assume the position of Senate president pro tempore. The post comes with a security detail from the U.S. Capitol Police and a budget for staffers that rose from a little more than $100,000 in 2011 to almost $720,000 in 2019.

Feinstein, 89, also would be third in the line of presidential succession, behind the vice president and the speaker of the House. But she has decided that the pro tem position is not for her.

“I’ve never thought about being the president pro tempore and I have no interest in it at this time,” Feinstein said Friday in a statement provided to The Washington Post.

Her Republican counterpart, Sen. Charles E. Grassley, also 89, has made the opposite call. Should Iowans hand him an eighth six-year term, as is expected next month, Grassley would accept the position of president pro tem, his office confirmed to The Washington Post, and he would leave decisions about the line of succession up to others.

President Biden, the oldest ever to occupy the Oval Office, turns 80 next month. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is 82, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is 80. The current Senate president pro tem, Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), this summer suffered a fall that left him with a broken hip and he recently spent a night in the hospital after not feeling well. Leahy, 82, is retiring at the end of this term, leaving the position open for Feinstein or Grassley.

The Senate’s president pro tem was never meant to be an elder in the twilight of her or his career. In the 19th century and up through World War II, the post often went to younger senators who were viewed as real leaders, according to Steven S. Smith, a political science professor at Washington University who is co-writing a book on the history of Senate leadership.

Since the late 1940s, the position has been largely ceremonial, with duties such as opening daily debate in the Senate and, as the titular head of the chamber, signing legislation that is to be sent to the president.

On Sept. 11, 2001, the day of the terrorist attacks, then-Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), 83, who had succeeded Thurmond as president pro tem, wandered around the East Front of the Capitol grounds with no police detail, telling reporters that he had no idea what was happening and planned to go home to Virginia.

The president pro tem has had a security detail ever since, and on Jan. 6, 2021, just a couple minutes after then-Vice President Pence was taken from the Senate chamber to safety, Grassley — who held the pro tem position from 2019 into early 2021 — was rushed out of the chamber. The other Senate leaders, Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), remained behind because Grassley was in the line of succession.

Smith, who is writing a Senate leadership history, views the issue through the lens of almost historical accident — the president pro tem was never intended to be such an aged member of the Senate just performing perfunctory duties.

For the first 50 years, the president pro tem was a powerful force who oversaw debate when the vice president, the actual president of the Senate, was not on hand. He often appointed chairmen and members to Senate committees, actually serving as next in line after the vice president until an 1886 update. When vice presidents were elevated to the presidency, the Senate president pro tem collected his Senate salary and that of the vice president, according to Donald Ritchie, a former historian of the Senate.

[The Cool Thatguy]

And student loans are the only ones impacted by interest rates? No, all loans are impacted by interest rates. Perhaps US taxpayers should also bail out folks who are paying hefty loans for their houses or cars.

Spoken like someone who has no idea how these loans are structured.

I do.

They should be criminal, really.

[aja_christopher]

If you disagree with something I've said, post a link so that others can see the full context. It's possible that something might be misremembered.

No -- I think I've made my point quite clear.

[Mister Mets]

A 90-something in line of presidential succession? Experts say it’s time for a change.

It is an obvious problem to have someone fairly high up in the line of succession who is the Senator in the dominant party with the highest seniority, who is likely to be very old.

Stromm Thurmond spent time in that position in his 90s, and that was a bad outcome. In his last years as Senator, he moved into a hospital.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/strom-t...into-hospital/

They should change it to something like the most recent new Senator who had served as Governor or in the cabinet, or even the Senate Majority Leader. They could also skip Congress entirely to focus on the elected President and the cabinet he or she selected, although that requires new legislation. President pro tempore of the United States Senate is a constitutional position, but Congress can change who they pick for it.

It would probably be good for the reputations of Feinstein and Grassley if they said that they don't want to be in the line of succession, and someone else should be chosen.

[Adam Allen]

A 90-something in line of presidential succession? Experts say it’s time for a change.

Realistically, as things stand today, do we really imagine the US would hold together, under circumstances chaotic enough to have this position end up the actual president? Pretty sure at least one former president would probably just declare himself emperor, if he was still around.

[hyped78]

Spoken like someone who has no idea how these loans are structured.

I do.

They should be criminal, really.

Were you forced to take out a student loan? Were you misled or deceived? Did you take out the loan because you saw it as an investment in your future?

Why should other taxpayers bail you out on your own loan/ investment, that you willingly took on? Why do you need a handout?

[The Cool Thatguy]

Were you forced to take out a student loan? Were you misled or deceived? Did you take out the loan because you saw it as an investment in your future?

Why should other taxpayers bail you out on your own loan/ investment, that you willingly took on? Why do you need a handout?

Why does everyone assume I have a loan when I speak out student loans, and need a handout?

My roommate worked on student loans. During Covid, she worked from home, and showed me a few, and talked about others. So I've seen the receipts and I know how they work.

Do you?

[Tami]

It is an obvious problem to have someone fairly high up in the line of succession who is the Senator in the dominant party with the highest seniority, who is likely to be very old.

Stromm Thurmond spent time in that position in his 90s, and that was a bad outcome. In his last years as Senator, he moved into a hospital.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/strom-t...into-hospital/

They should change it to something like the most recent new Senator who had served as Governor or in the cabinet, or even the Senate Majority Leader. They could also skip Congress entirely to focus on the elected President and the cabinet he or she selected, although that requires new legislation. President pro tempore of the United States Senate is a constitutional position, but Congress can change who they pick for it.

It would probably be good for the reputations of Feinstein and Grassley if they said that they don't want to be in the line of succession, and someone else should be chosen.

Feinstein already has turned it down, if you read the article. Grassley is the one who wants the position, even though someone younger should probably get it.

[hyped78]

Why does everyone assume I have a loan when I speak out student loans, and need a handout?

My roommate worked on student loans. During Covid, she worked from home, and showed me a few, and talked about others. So I've seen the receipts and I know how they work.

Do you?

If people assume that perhaps you have a loan is because you said you know how they work/ how they are structured. Care to share your apparent knowledge on the topic?

While you don’t need a handout, you seem to be defending those handouts (feel free to correct me).

How those loans work isn’t exactly a secret:
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/stude...nt-loans-work/

[Tami]

Realistically, as things stand today, do we really imagine the US would hold together, under circumstances chaotic enough to have this position end up the actual president? Pretty sure at least one former president would probably just declare himself emperor, if he was still around.

January 6th made it clear that Worst Case could very well happen. Probably won't since we saw how Pence and Pelosi were well protected. I don't think the chain of succession would ever reach the 4th person in line. doubt it would reach the 3rd person, but then again I didn't think that Americans would storm the Capital at the behest of a soon-to-be Ex President.

[The Cool Thatguy]

If people assume that perhaps you have a loan is because you said you know how they work/ how they are structured. Care to share your apparent knowledge on the topic?

While you don’t need a handout, you seem to be defending those handouts (feel free to correct me).

How those loans work isn’t exactly a secret:
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/stude...nt-loans-work/

Yeah, that link isn't worth a damn in practice.

We bailed out banks, we bailed out the auto-industry but we can't bail out people who were told their entire lives that college was the only way to success?

[hyped78]

Yeah, that link isn't worth a damn in practice.

We bailed out banks, we bailed out the auto-industry but we can't bail out people who were told their entire lives that college was the only way to success?

If the Forbes article isn’t “worth a damn in practice”, I would ask you to please share your knowledge and insights about the topic! (perhaps you can even do some consulting for Forbes)

Bringing banks and the auto-industry into the discussion is bit of whataboutism. While I won’t necessarily defend bailing out banks, when governments do that it’s to protect the financial stability of the entire system, it’s completely different from student loans. Also, many banks pay the bailouts back. Oh, and public funds aren’t infinite.

“college was the only way to success” - people with a college degree make, on average, more money than those without. It’s an investment.

[worstblogever]

Well, there's video of Maryland GOP gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox accepting a gift from one of the Proud Boys at his primary victory celebration party. Not much room for him to deny he knew he was one of the Proud Boys, as he literally introduces himself as a member, and Cox responds by accepting the gift and offering a handshake.

The Republican Party are affiliated with domestic terrorists. Full stop.

[Zauriel]

GOP is not the only party of racists. There are also racists in the Democratic Party, including some LA councilmembers for example. we don't know how many Democrats are racists, because they don't want us to know they are racists. They hide who they are from the public. The difference bettween the two parties is many Republicans, especially Trump, are more open about their bigotry and racism. People like Dan Cox don't try to make an effort to hide who they are.