All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Anyone see this yet?

Trump fathered a child with an employee — according to ex-doorman paid off by National Enquirer: report







So maybe it isn't true, but this is endemic of the world Trump has created.

I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if this story WAS true. God only knows how many women Trump fooled around behind the backs of Ivana, Marla and Melania over the years but has had his legion of lawyers keep it all hush-hush. How many illegitimate kids are out there that Trump fathered during his one night stands? You can't tell me they don't exist, given his promiscuous attitude towards women. The fact the Enquirer, the same rag that's been in bed with the Orange Menace was behind this particular story doesn't surprise me either.

That is the one of the two parts of this that I find funny.

The second part is that this has been done already. Clinton promulgated "Workfare" before it was cool.

So we already have a system where we give nonprofit companies ungodly sums of money to push Welfare recipients into taking B.S. McJjobs in order to qualify for benefits. And when those companies somehow manage to mysteriously lose track of millions of dollars ,https://citylimits.org/2015/03/23/nonprofits-bankruptcy-puts-controversial-welfare-program-at-crossroads/ nobody seems to notice.

But let Tanisha buy a steak with her Welfare check and everyone wants to crucify her.

What this seem to be doing is forcing people to work for their Medicare and Food Stamp Benefits (and I know for a fact there are thousands of people who are ALREADY working and are on food stamps since their jobs don't pay enough to feed them ex: Wal-Mart.)

Never mind barely having enough money for rent, utilities, transportation to **** jobs like at Wal-Mart or medicine, those unfortunates live on the razor's edge day in and day out, struggling not just to make ends meet, but to survive, to avoid winding up on the streets. But do Republicans care about that? hell no! Their psychopathic hatred of the poor and their neverending crusade to destroy them boggles my mind, and it will continue long after Trump leaves office.

[InformationGeek]

Meanwhile, in Louisiana, sex with animals has been finally been pushed forward in the Senate. However, ten people voted against the measure. All Republicans.

[Iron Maiden]

Stormy Daniels said in her interviews that they had unprotected sex. So there is that possibility there could be an illegitimate child somewhere.

[worstblogever]

Stormy Daniels said in her interviews that they had unprotected sex. So there is that possibility there could be an illegitimate child somewhere.

And if there aren't, that means the guy who wants women "punished for abortions" is likely to have paid for several. Can't say he was firing blanks, as he fathered Barron only a year prior.

[ZombieHavoc]

I know it's impossible, but maybe there needs to be investigations into candidates prior becoming president...just as a matter of course, regardless of party or person.

[Tazirai]

**** "purity", fundamentalism, and everything along those lines. I dont want a different flavor of the same assholes who are so up their own rectums about their own brand of dogma that they feel it's their duty to strong-arm everyone who doesn't tow the line into submission.

And no, having reservations and doubts isn't a form of "establishment purity", especially if it leads to asking more honest questions.

I think you understand what us Progressives demand when we say "Purity Test".

If you're not for a living wage or 15, screw you.
If you're not for Universal Healthcare or Medicare for all, screw you.
If you're not for ending the endless wars, screw you.
If you're not for Free College, screw you.
If you're not for Getting money out of Politics, screw you.
If you're not for Comprehensive gun reforms, screw you.
If you're not for ending the War on Marijuana ending it's schedule 1 status, I don't know what to tell you.

Those are just basic things. that's not Fundamentalism.

Tell me, what did I post that you disagree with? Show me an Establishment member who agrees with those things?

These are just basics.

[Tazirai]

Maybe. But if you go into an ice cream shop and the only two flavors they offer are chocolate and vanilla, you can demand pistachio all you want, but they'll never be able to give you any.

But you can ask to put actual Pistachios on top of those two flavors, making them more tasty to the masses. You're not getting rid of the flavors of those two. You're spicing it up. It's no hard really. The Democrats need to show backbone and actually FIGHT. That's all most of us are asking. They don't fight and people just ote GOP, because they LOOK stronger. They SUCK at Policy and are good on Politics. Democrats just SUCK at Politics but generally have good policies until confronted by some loudmouthed GOP Mouthbreather.

[Tazirai]

Saving this one for a future full profile, but apparently the announcement that Florida Congressman Dennis Ross has decided to not run for re-election in 2018 has an interesting side-effect... the only GOP candidate left for the nomination right now in his district is Loretta Miller, whose campaign website references her family values are strong because she's opposed to "Pizzagate", the belief that Hillary Clinton and other Democratic leaders were molesting children in the basement of a pizzeria that doesn't have a basement.

Why, it seems like this would be further proof that the Republican Party has devolved into Neo-Nazis and conspiracy theorists, hmm?

They can't help themselves. When you can't win on Policy you gotta make **** up. That's the GOP play book. Funny how if both parties are just as terribe, Republicans get a BERTH of Racists, White Nationalists, and Neo-Nazis.

[Tami]

I know it's impossible, but maybe there needs to be investigations into candidates prior becoming president...just as a matter of course, regardless of party or person.

It's called Vetting, and I agree 100%. Every candidate for President should be Vetted the same way a person seeking a high level security clearance is vetted. If the President of the United States can't pass the test to be eligible for a Top Secret or higher level security clearance, they shouldn't be president.

[Mr. Mastermind]

No, I have. Missile strikes (if they happen) don't necessarily mean war, just like before.

Dat American mindset of war.

If Russia were to bomb part of America, would you consider that an act of war?

[Tami]

I think you understand what us Progressives demand when we say "Purity Test".

If you're not for a living wage or 15, screw you.
If you're not for Universal Healthcare or Medicare for all, screw you.
If you're not for ending the endless wars, screw you.
If you're not for Free College, screw you.
If you're not for Getting money out of Politics, screw you.
If you're not for Comprehensive gun reforms, screw you.
If you're not for ending the War on Marijuana ending it's schedule 1 status, I don't know what to tell you.

Those are just basic things. that's not Fundamentalism.

Tell me, what did I post that you disagree with? Show me an Establishment member who agrees with those things?

These are just basics.

it all sounds good, but it's never that simple in a society such as ours. Voters can have 'purity tests' that they can use to decide who to vote for. But the Democratic Party as a whole is going to run into trouble if they start instituting 'purity tests' for every Democratic Candidate that runs for office.

My purity test for Candidates is
- That they must always remember that they work for and act in the best interests of their constituents, not lobbyists or whomever gives them the most money.
- That they place their Community, the Country and the Constitution over self interest, greed, and/or partisanship.
- That improving the lives of every American, not just the wealthy 1%, should be the goal.
- That the American Dream is one that should be shared generously, not hoarded by one group.
- That the path to greatness comes from valuing knowledge, creativity, innovation and from embracing the future. Not living in the past.
- That Human Rights means Human Rights for every person, regardless of who they are.
- That caring, compassion, empathy and generosity are American Values, not 'bad words'.
- That it is their job to find solutions to problems and issues that actually work and work for the betterment of all, not make the situation worse.

[Trey Strain]

I think you understand what us Progressives demand when we say "Purity Test".

If you're not for a living wage or 15, screw you.
If you're not for Universal Healthcare or Medicare for all, screw you.
If you're not for ending the endless wars, screw you.
If you're not for Free College, screw you.
If you're not for Getting money out of Politics, screw you.
If you're not for Comprehensive gun reforms, screw you.
If you're not for ending the War on Marijuana ending it's schedule 1 status, I don't know what to tell you.

Those are just basic things. that's not Fundamentalism.

Tell me, what did I post that you disagree with? Show me an Establishment member who agrees with those things?

These are just basics.

I agree with all that. There should also be an end to mass incarceration, gross income inequality, and trade agreements that screw American workers. And ending homelessness should be the number one domestic priority.

But I would also want the borders secured, and I loathe political correctness. Those are not generally seen as progressive stances.

[Ragged Maw]

I think you understand what us Progressives demand when we say "Purity Test".

If you're not for a living wage or 15, screw you.
If you're not for Universal Healthcare or Medicare for all, screw you.
If you're not for ending the endless wars, screw you.
If you're not for Free College, screw you.
If you're not for Getting money out of Politics, screw you.
If you're not for Comprehensive gun reforms, screw you.
If you're not for ending the War on Marijuana ending it's schedule 1 status, I don't know what to tell you.

Those are just basic things. that's not Fundamentalism.

Tell me, what did I post that you disagree with? Show me an Establishment member who agrees with those things?

These are just basics.

Improving baseline living wage and ending the Scedule 1 bullshit against MJ seem like an easy “yes”. Probably healthcare - physical and mental - too (especially if the first two go off without a hitch). The rest seem iffy and dependent on quite a few factors.

[Trey Strain]

Democrats have largely joined with Republicans on economic and even military matters, and now are only about voicing support for marginalized groups. This is what you see people like Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Brown and Hillary Clinton doing.

[JBatmanFan05]

Democrats have largely joined with Republicans on economic and even military matters, and now are only about voicing support for marginalized groups. This is what you see people like Nancy Pelosi, Jerry Brown and Hillary Clinton doing.

Great observation. The much untalked about convergence is actually pretty frightening even if I agree with a number of policy directions.