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

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Seriously. An argument over a voter database between two candidates that we don't have all the details on the story yet hardly tops all the misogyny, racism, voter disenfranchising, homophobia, and general disregard for anyone who isn't a rich white male we see from the Republican Party.

It's almost as if some people would like to think "both sides are just as bad" because there's a day of bad press for Hillary and Bernie.

Well, if anything, this figures to make tonight's Democrat debate interesting. Meanwhile, who does Dastardly Debbie have dirty pictures of to keep her job as chair of the DNC? Oh, and here's a call to have Debbie fired:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-...b_8841576.html

[Tendrin]

DWS has been a horrible DNC chair. Absolutely horrible.

[Kirby101]

DNC will share data again with Sanders. "Scandal" over in a day. But both parties are the same.

And yes DWS sucks.

[Tendrin]

Dean was vastly superior, yeah.

[Tendrin]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-s...usaolp00000592

provision buried on page 472 added the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from taking any action to reign in the political activity of 501(c)4 organizations. These organizations, which enjoy significant tax exemptions as nonprofits, weren't originally supposed to engage in political activity at all. In recent years, however, they've become a favorite of anyone who wants to buy political influence without attracting attention.

Everyone from Karl Rove's Crossroads GPS to the Harry Reid-aligned Patriot Majority USA has taken advantage of the lax rules governing 501(c)4s. Since there's no legal requirement that 501(c)4 organizations disclose their donors, anyone can use them as a vehicle to pour unlimited money into our political system. And we mean anyone. As former Republican Federal Election Commissioner Trevor Potter has pointed out, even foreign nationals and governments could use 501(c)4s to quietly influence U.S. policy.

Let that sink in folks: Rather than allow the IRS to prevent the abuse of tax-exempt nonprofit status for purely political purposes by both parties, Congress has specifically banned the agency from taking any kind of action -- even at the risk of allowing secret foreign money to poison our elections.

Wait, what? o.O

On a similar note, another provision tucked away on page 1,982 prohibits the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from requiring corporations to disclose their political spending.

This is especially outrageous because disclosure is, at least on paper, one of the least controversial and most basic steps toward reform the government can take. We're not talking about cutting off the flow of money here -- just letting the public see who's spending it, and what they're spending it on. As noted by the LA Times' Michael Hiltzik, even the Supreme Court made a point of emphasizing the need for disclosure in its widely reviled Citizens United ruling:

"With the advent of the Internet," Justice Anthony M. Kennedy wrote for the majority, "prompt disclosure of expenditures can provide shareholders and citizens with the information needed to hold corporations and elected officials accountable for their positions and supporters." Disclosure would enable shareholders to "determine whether their corporation's political speech advances the corporation's interest in making profits, and citizens can see whether elected officials are 'in the pocket' of so-called moneyed interests."

All that said, Obama's SEC seemed completely unwilling to implement such a rule anyway. Despite the fact that a petition calling for a new disclosure rule drew 1.2 million public comments -- the most in SEC history -- SEC chairwoman, Obama appointee, and former Wall St. lawyer Mary Jo White has consistently refused to take any kind of action on the matter.

[Mister Mets]

DNC chair has issued a statement - Sanders campaign access has been restored but information was still accessed that shouldn't have been

http://www.democrats.org/post/dnc-ch...er-file-access

there was definitely some "inside baseball" here so anyone thinking the Sanders campaign is being picked on needs to settle

It's not like the DNC is choosing to have debates at times when it'll get the least attention, like the Saturday after a new Star Wars film comes out.

[TheInvisibleMan]

It's not like the DNC is choosing to have debates at times when it'll get the least attention, like the Saturday after a new Star Wars film comes out.

its either the best or worst idea

the weekend before Christmas, lots of parties and other things going on

wasn't the last one on a Friday or Saturday night as well?

[Mister Mets]

its either the best or worst idea

the weekend before Christmas, lots of parties and other things going on

wasn't the last one on a Friday or Saturday night as well?

Yes.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/1...omalley-215909

It got low ratings, and that seems to be a feature rather than a bug with this system.

This seems to be a situation where the Sanders fans may be wrong in this particular instance, but correct overall.

The DNC may have been right to temporarily suspend the access of the Sanders campaign to a database it appears they had exploited.

In general, the Sanders campaign is being picked on, or to phrase it a little differently, decisions have been made to advantage the frontrunner.

[Malvolio]

It's not like the DNC is choosing to have debates at times when it'll get the least attention, like the Saturday after a new Star Wars film comes out.

Well, you know, it's not like the Sunday shows won't show and talk about the highlights of the debate. And the cable news networks will talk about it all on Monday. So anyone who wants to find out what happened in the debate can find out. I, for one, haven't watched more than a few minutes of any of the debates live, but I know what went on, who said something stupid, and what important questions were answered.

So I really don't know why anyone's concerned with the television ratings for the debates. Sure, the Republican debates have gotten higher ratings, but that's because of the entertainment factor, not because more people agree with the Republicans than the Democrats.

[worstblogever]

its either the best or worst idea

the weekend before Christmas, lots of parties and other things going on

wasn't the last one on a Friday or Saturday night as well?

Again, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is terrible at her job. Polling, and voting results show that widespread, voters across the board overwhelmingly support Democratic initiatives right now, from minimum wage increases, to marijuana legalization, to now support for gay marriage, as well. Yet, Democrat candidates are about even with their GOP counterparts, in spite of that fact.

Maybe letting your candidates talk about those issues in a public forum when people WILL SEE IT would help.

[Kirby101]

Again, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz is terrible at her job. Polling, and voting results show that widespread, voters across the board overwhelmingly support Democratic initiatives right now, from minimum wage increases, to marijuana legalization, to now support for gay marriage, as well. Yet, Democrat candidates are about even with their GOP counterparts, in spite of that fact.

Maybe letting your candidates talk about those issues in a public forum when people WILL SEE IT would help.

Dean had a 50 State strategy. DWS is a DLC shill. Her performance in the midterms was horrid.

[Kirby101]

Remember the other day when New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez was listed as a "good, sane Republican"?

Well, I didn't talk about how people in her own party think she's a head case, petty and highly vindictive.

But there's also the fact that just this week, she was recorded on a 911 call abusing her authority, and placing herself above the law when she ordered police to leave rather than enforce a noise complaint against her staff's Christmas party at a Santa Fe hotel.

And Nikki Haley has been named "the other woman" in a divorce case.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madr...d-other-woman-

[JCAll]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-s...usaolp00000592




Wait, what? o.O

Oh joy. Well that's 3 crap rulings s far found tucked away in a bill that absolutely has to pass. I expect worse to be found.

[worstblogever]

And Nikki Haley has been named "the other woman" in a divorce case.

http://crooksandliars.com/susie-madr...d-other-woman-

I'm more concerned on Nikki Haley cutting funding to domestic violence centers and rape crisis centers, calling the groups "special interests".

And then referred to battered and raped women as "distractions".

[Kirby101]

I'm more concerned on Nikki Haley cutting funding to domestic violence centers and rape crisis centers, calling the groups "special interests".

And then referred to battered and raped women as "distractions".

Yeah, but she moved America forward.