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

[JCAll]

It's not like my mother is a maniac or a raving thing. She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?

...

Hey guys, I think we should drain the swamp behind Bats' house, if you know what I mean.

[Guapo Méndez]

A pumpkin shepherd?

What he's doing to that pumpkin is disgusting.

[PaulBullion]

What he's doing to that pumpkin is disgusting.

And once the pumpkin wasn't healthy anymore, he left it for a younger squash.

[Scott Taylor]

Considering the GOP holds both Houses of Congress, the presidency and pretty much the Supreme Court now, what could Trump possibly be talking about?



Other than the end of the rule of law, of checks and balances?

I'm troubled.

Its the news media, like he always goes on about.

[Scott Taylor]

Political polarization began with Ronald Reagan actually. Before Reagan there wasn't an ideological test to be a Republican or a Democrat. Hence, we still had conservative Democrats, many from the South, and liberal Republicans, many from the North. After Reagan there was a consolidation of ideological purity around the Republican Party. Given Reagan's success, Democrats ran candidates like Bill Clinton that trended more towards the positions the American public actually held (fiscal restraint with social care). When it became more difficult to make the debate about actual policy, given Clinton's popularity and policy positions being generally in line with the public's (H.W. Bush and Clinton are actually probably as close as two presidents can be given they came from two different parties at the exact same period of time), personal attacks had to become the norm. For this, and a combination of other reasons, Democrats then began to trend towards becoming ideologically "pure", just as Republicans had, during the Bush Administration. Many political scientists think it probably relates back to the fact that meeting Republicans halfway hadn't really been beneficial politically. This continued during the Obama Administration where many people, upset with the most liberal president since Kennedy, wanted a more progressive future. Hence, polarization is at the highest level it has ever been.

Bill Clinton did hold more centric positions, even for a Democrat. But his biggest problem, mostly evident in his first term, was that he refused to sit down with the other side and work on compromise. He was alot like Trump in that matter, just flat out ignored all political opponents (in his case, Republicans) during his first term. That really didn't happen with him until after the Republican congressional victories of the mid-term. And by then it was too late to mend fences. I think thats why people blame Clinton for being the start of the mega-polarization.

Personally I think it started in Congress with the retirement of guys like Tip O'Neill in the late 1980s.

[BeastieRunner]

The extreme polarisation was seeded in 1986 with the gun lobby and came full force with H. W. Bush's failed cabinet pick.

It just got worse each term after that.

[PaulBullion]

Can we tax all "prosperity gospel" churches, please?

Trump Spiritual Adviser Demands Donations Of One Month’s Pay Or Followers Will Suffer “Consequences”

White, who also serves as President Donald Trump’s spiritual adviser, lays out in detail on her website how the principle of first fruits “supernaturally unlocks amazing opportunity, blessing, favor and divine order for your life” and how God requires His people to honor it.

[Tami]

This will probably be in the news tonight

[Mister Mets]

In these partisan times, it's important to see Republicans and Democrats getting along with one another.

Two Florida lawmakers admit extramarital affair.

Two South Florida state senators went public to acknowledge their extramarital affair “as the Florida Legislature convened under a cloud of sexual impropriety that has distracted lawmakers for months,” the Sun Sentinel reports.

Their statement came after a website posted hidden camera video purporting to show state Sen. Anitere Flores (R) entering and leaving an apartment rented by Senate Minority Leader Oscar Braynon (D) on four consecutive nights.

Both Braynon and Flores are married.

[kidfresh512]

In these partisan times, it's important to see Republicans and Democrats getting along with one another.

Two Florida lawmakers admit extramarital affair.

Modern day Romeo and Juliet

[Tami]

There is a wave of Republicans leaving Congress

The Republican exodus is striking when presented like this.

[Mister Mets]

My problem with this has always been that Trump's supporters obviously bought the make believe Trump of "The Apprentice" and Trump's ludicrous claim of being a "self-made" billionaire. A little research would have laid those myths to rest. Even before the elections, I knew of Trump's shenanigans from reading Vanity Fair for years. He's well known in NYC....and not liked very much at all. He lost the vote in his home state and the city where he lives by pretty wide margins because he was covered a lot in the press there over the years. In fact, Hillary got the most votes in New York City, right where he lives, in the history of presidential elections.

I'm sure I don't need to cite sources any more but Trump has such bad reputation among the major financial institutions here that he has to go to Deutsche bank. I guess if he does have one skill it's that his bankruptcies have left other people holding the bag. His two benefactors, Wilbur Ross & Carl Ichan have helped bail him out also. But the bondholders in Atlantic City lost about a billion on that gamble.

Unfortunately, standard voters don't do a lot of research.

Though the majority will stick to being generic partisans when November comes.

The bigger problem is with the primary base that went with Trump (and a different hypothetical primary base that could go with Oprah.)

In English, comrade?

I meant to say some instead of since.

"It's not meant to be a gotcha. It's more about getting you to understand the perspective of some of those who supported Trump in the general election."

[Tami]

Grassley will check with Trump to see how they should investigate Trump

Sen. Chuck Grassley, fresh off directing criminal charges at former British intelligence officer Christopher Steele with no evidence of wrongdoing and no consultation with a single Democrat on his committee, is frustrated that Dianne Feinstein made an end-run around his authority.

And on Wednesday, Grassley once again demonstrated his very serious understanding of how an investigation should be conducted. Asked how he would respond to Trump’s latest tweet fuming that Republicans need to ‘get control’ of the investigation they already control, Grassley said he’d have to clear it with the boss.

So … Grassley will ask Trump if it’s okay for Republicans to do what Trump asked them to do … in an investigation that’s supposed to be about Trump.

[Gray Lensman]

Modern day Romeo and Juliet

I was thinking more hatesex considering the current climate.

[TheInvisibleMan]

ICE raids 7-11 store nationwide

this is only the beginning