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

[Spike-X]

The Republican War On Women is facing a setback in Missouri due, ironically, to one of their 'religious freedom' laws.

The whole thing started when a woman who belongs to the Temple, known only as Mary, went to Planned Parenthood seeking to terminate a pregnancy. When confronted with the 72 hour wait and literature, Mary presented a waiver from her church on religious grounds. She was denied, which prompted the lawsuit.

The laws and literature mandated by the state violate member rights under the state RFRA. According to the Temple’s website, their tenets include “One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone,” and “Beliefs should conform to our best scientific understanding of the world. We should take care never to distort scientific facts to fit our beliefs.”

[worstblogever]

One year ago we profiled former Florida Congressman Trey Radel, also more commonly known as “The Cocaine Congressman” for getting busted with Bolivian marching powder in an FBI sting that would end his calls to impeach President Obama, as well as add a great deal of irony to his votes in the Florida legislature to drug test welfare recipients. We'll go ahead and "retire" his profile as well at this time since his political career disappeared like a line off of a mirror due to his arrest, and we’ll move on to talk about someone else ... (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 391-12, since this was established in July 2014.)


Dave Brat

Currently the U.S. House Representative for Virginia’s 7th Congressional District, Dave Brat is a former economics professor (with a P.H.D. in Theology) who taught at Randolph-Macon College perhaps best known as the Tea Party candidate who did the unthinkable… he gave the boot to sitting House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor in the 2014 Republican Primary, a guy we never got around to profiling. Honestly, as partisan as Rep. Cantor could be, to his credit he also was open to immigration reform, and would walk in Selma, Alabama, every year with Civil Rights hero, Democratic Rep. John Lewis of Georgia (no Republicans made the trip in 2015, perhaps afraid they might meet a similar fate for honoring the Civil Rights movement with their constituents). Brat came out of nowhere, running hard to Cantor’s right, leaving the GOP without a key member of their leadership, and the only Jewish member of their party in Congress. In the end, he won the primary with 56% of the vote over Cantor, and went on to win over Democrat Jack Trammell in the general election with 61%. Cantor resigned rather than finish out his term after the primary, and Brat ran in that race as well, joining Congress on November 12th, 2014.

But the most shocking thing about Cantor’s defeat wasn’t just the Tea Party’s idea that he was “too moderate” compared to Brat (when in all reality Cantor’s still quite conservative). Sure, it might have been that toppling a House Majority Leader has never happened before… but it’s especially mind-blowing given all the crazy s*** that Dave Brat, a Christian Reconstructionalist who cites 16th Century theologian John Calvin as an influence on his opinions of capitalism, says and does that people were willing to overlook:

• During his primary campaign against Eric Cantor, Dave Brat’s campaign manager sought out, and then earned the endorsement of ALIPAC, an anti-immigrant hate group, who then went on to order robocalls to prospective voters on Brat’s behalf. Amongst the group’s bigoted views are calling the Tea Party against a potential violent revolution if they can’t stop an immigrant “invasion”, a belief that President Obama was leading a “war on White America”, a call to arrest Obama in a military coup, claims that undocumented immigrants are naturally prone to committing sexual assault while comparing them to the 9/11 hijackers, warns against DREAMers being allowed into the military because they have a “hatred and contempt for America”, and warns of “black mobs roaming U.S. cities targeting and beating the crap out of white people”.
  Hell of an endorsement, Professor Brat.
• At a campaign event on May 7th, 2014, Dave Brat discounts climate change science, claiming inconsistencies in claims by scientists about global warming and global cooling over the past two CENTURIES as his reason for skepticism:
  

  "If you let Americans do their thing, there is no scarcity, right? They said we're going to run out of food 200 years ago, and then we're going to have another ice age. Now it's, we're heating up…"

  Republicans who use this argument cite a 1975 article from Newsweek about “global cooling” that predicted another Ice Age. In the past forty years, there have been precisely zero studies that predict such a thing.
• On June 11th, 2014, fresh off his primary victory, Dave Brat is interviewed by Chuck Todd (who is a Republican, and often is considered to be “soft” on members of the GOP he interviews) and is asked for his position on a minimum wage increase, or if there should be a minimum wage at all. Brat answered, “I don’t have a well-crafted response on that one.” Remember, please, that Dave Brat is an ECONOMICS PROFESSOR. How do you not have an opinion established on something like that?
• On January 22nd, 2015, an anti-abortion bill, HR 7, was moving through the House, and was halted because even some members of the GOP were put off by the language in the bill regarding its definition of rape. Dave Brat, however, had no problem with that, and voted for it anyway.
• On February 3rd, 2015, Rep. Brat votes for the latest Republican attempt at repealing the Affordable Care Act. This in spite of the fact that the law is not just working, but better than experts predicted.
• On March 3rd, 2015, Brat votes against funding the Department of Homeland Security as part of a Republican protest of President Obama’s executive orders on immigration.
• In April 2015, Dave Brat went on record to say that repealing the Affordable Care Act would save the United States $2 trillion (which is false). Politifact reported on this statement, and explained why it’s patently false. Well, a few days later, Brat threw a tantrum about being called out for his lie, and then compared the ACA to the sort of government that you’d expect from North Korea.
• On Mary 1st, 2015, Dave Brat claims that the DREAM Act is an Orwellian plot by liberals to undermine the pillars of success. n the same interview, he also disputed the separation of church and state, and claimed that ISIS had set up a base in Texas.
• May 13th, 2015, Rep. Brat voted for HR 36, a ban on abortion at 20 weeks, which he also co-sponsored.
• On May 18th, 2015, Dave Brat was being interviewed by conservative radio host John Fredericks, and echoed the statements of his racist pals in ALIPAC, saying that DREAMERS being allowed to serve in the U.S. military would lead to the “decline of Western civilization”.
• On August 27th, 2015, Rep. Brat was revealed to be one of 28 Republican members of the House to pledged to stage another government shutdown, this time over government funding of Planned Parenthood, based on those undercover “sting” videos of the company’s employees were recorded by a Pro-Life group, and what forensic analysis revealed to be highly doctored to create implied context and manufacture outrage.

Since getting to Washington, Dave Brat has gone mostly silent in the media, and mostly refuses to be interviewed live by the mainstream media (hovering primarily in conservative radio circles), having aides field phone calls and take written questions only, for fear of a host making him look stupid (by not helping cover that fact up). That lack of exposure could give the GOP establishment a chance to find a more moderate primary challenger to run against him in 2016. It’s unknown who that might be, but it will be interesting to see if he turns his huge upset into a long career, or burns out fast like a Roman candle. He’s another Republican whose views run a polar opposite to Pope Francis, prior to his visit, and it will be interesting to see if Brat keeps his trap shut when the Holy Father comes through and potentially points out how immoral capitalism can be, when Brat intertwines it with divinity so closely.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

As Shutdown Looms, Push To Link Planned Parenthood With Spending Fight Gains Steam In House

in 2013, it was Obamacare, in 2015 it's Planned Parenthood. What will it be in 2017? As a government worker, I'm more than a little annoyed that history is getting closer to repeating itself while I and thousands of other workers once again face the possibility of becoming pawns in a political hissy fit. And why? So the GOP can throw some red meat to their racist, homophobic, xenophobic base. I shook my head when I read this rationale for the Republican fight against PP:

"Given the appalling revelations surrounding Planned Parenthood, we cannot in good moral conscience vote to send taxpayer money to this organization while still fulfilling our duty to represent our constituents."

Yes, your dumber than dirt, anti-woman constituents. And yet, the GOP had no moral problem writing a blank check for trillions to finance wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that never needed to have been fought. Compared to that obscene deficit the American public will still be paying off decades from now, the mere $500 million to PP to provide services that help women is literally a drop in the bucket.

[numberthirty]

" good moral conscience"...

That one always makes me laugh. Unless you are ready to sign the country over to folks on a reservation, you should never say " good moral conscience".

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Iran Deal Opponents Refuse To Admit Defeat

I know. Big surprise, right? That got me to wondering, if Obama decided that he didn't like the Iran Deal and tried to kill it dead, would Republicans have followed their natural Pavlovian instinct to hate anything Obama liked and fought to keep the deal alive? Things that make you go hmmmm!

[worstblogever]

Iran Deal Opponents Refuse To Admit Defeat

I know. Big surprise, right? That got me to wondering, if Obama decided that he didn't like the Iran Deal and tried to kill it dead, would Republicans have followed their natural Pavlovian instinct to hate anything Obama liked and fought to keep the deal alive? Things that make you go hmmmm!

It's the same group of morons who can't admit things like the ACA or Roe v. Wade aren't going anywhere, because there's another side to the argument. But they'll keep plugging away and wasting time trying when they could be trying to work towards common goals that are good for the republic, instead.

I know, that's just crazy talk.

[Mr. Mastermind]

Jeremy Corbyn is the new Labour leader, Tom Watson is the new Deputy and Sadiq Khan is the London mayoral candidate.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

It's the same group of morons who can't admit things like the ACA or Roe v. Wade aren't going anywhere, because there's another side to the argument. But they'll keep plugging away and wasting time trying when they could be trying to work towards common goals that are good for the republic, instead.

I know, that's just crazy talk.

If that republic consists solely of white, homophobic, xenophobic, gun toting Christians, then yeah, the GOP is doing a bang up great job.

[Mr. Mastermind]

I think Sadiq Khan will become mayor and be a good mayor at that. Corbyn will at least make British politics much more interesting. Gotta love how Gerry Adams was one of the first to congratulate him.

[Arvandor]

Jeremy Corbyn is the new Labour leader, Tom Watson is the new Deputy and Sadiq Khan is the London mayoral candidate.

Should be interesting. There are so many ways this could go. It could render Labour totally ineffectual, or it could drive the Tories towards the far right in response.

[Puppetmaker Grae]

Should be interesting. There are so many ways this could go. It could render Labour totally ineffectual, or it could drive the Tories towards the far right in response.

I'm not sure. If Corbyn led Labour heads off to the left the Tories will sit comfortably on the centre-right with no need to move anywhere.

It all depends on what version of Labour's defeat in the last election you buy, did they lose because Milliband was a dangerous leftwing radical that the electorate didn't trust with leading the country, or did they lose because they're seen as 'Red Tory' careerists no different from Cameron and Osborne. The Parliamentary Labour Party's post election analysis leads towards the former, while the membership especially the new influx that has elected Corbyn prefer the latter. Now we find out who is right.

[PretenderNX01]

David Cameron criticised for saying "People in Yorkshire hate each other."

All I know of Yorkshire is from "Last of the Summer Wine" which was why my instinct was to say 'they don't?'

I guess my problem is that I rarely pay attention to her. I just assumed she, at one point, must have been able to form coherent sentences and convey her ideas properly. Seeing her words in print reminds me of that beauty contestant that thought we should do things, like, such as, stuff, etc.

Not that we've ever seen.

She read a speech well at McCain's launching her but once she "went rogue" aka off script was when she couldn't answer what newspapers she read and complained about "gotcha questions" whenever she rambled. Paul Revere riding through the streets ringing those bells, or whatever

[Mecegirl]

i haven't watched this and i don't think i want to. i've seen enough death of black folks this year, played on repeat, over and over again, like it's entertainment instead of news, that i don't have the stomach for it anymore.


New Video Shows Jail Incident That Led To Natasha McKenna's Death

On a somewhat brighter note. I didn't read one comment in the comment section condoning the officers actions. Everyone was horrified by the video and felt that the cops should have been charged. Normally it's the opposite. Sometimes the only way things change is when the public perception changes. In a perfect world we would be all valued equally so that such videos wouldn't be necessary to sway public opinion. But at least it's starting to change.

[Arvandor]

I'm not sure. If Corbyn led Labour heads off to the left the Tories will sit comfortably on the centre-right with no need to move anywhere.

It all depends on what version of Labour's defeat in the last election you buy, did they lose because Milliband was a dangerous leftwing radical that the electorate didn't trust with leading the country, or did they lose because they're seen as 'Red Tory' careerists no different from Cameron and Osborne. The Parliamentary Labour Party's post election analysis leads towards the former, while the membership especially the new influx that has elected Corbyn prefer the latter. Now we find out who is right.

I hope you're right. But I'm worried that Labour will go back to old socialist values. And that's not good, for opposition or government.

UK functions best with two moderate parties leading Westminster, with the more extremist voices on the backbenches. New Labour, followed by Moderate Conservatism, has been good for this country. Swinging wildly between Hard Left and Far Right is never a good thing. The last thing we need is to go back to the Socialist 70s, followed by Thatcherite 80s.

[7thangel]

On a somewhat brighter note. I didn't read one comment in the comment section condoning the officers actions. Everyone was horrified by the video and felt that the cops should have been charged. Normally it's the opposite. Sometimes the only way things change is when the public perception changes. In a perfect world we would be all valued equally so that such videos wouldn't be necessary to sway public opinion. But at least it's starting to change.

idk, maybe it's because of where that article is, huffpo's black voices. i'm not as optimistic as you are on this, as i've seen all kinds of excuses in other places, and not just from those you would expect to be dismissive.