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

[Tendrin]

What should Democrats do to tackle the issues that affect black people today?

Unfortunately, reparations for slavery are a non-starter.

Unfortunately.

But prison and policing reform would be a good place to start.

[worstblogever]

UBut prison and policing reform would be a good place to start.

They have been pushing for changes to minimum prison sentencing for pot offenses which disproportionately effect African Americans. Also, protecting their right to vote from unnecessary voter ID laws, and disenfranchise them.

[worstblogever]

It’s Your Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day!

(Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 108-2, since this was established on 7-18-14)


Chris Christie (Full profile here)
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was a rstate legislator, then briefly a lobbyist, but really came to the attention of the GOP when he was appointed the United States Attorney for New Jersey by George W. Bush, serving from 2002-2008. In that role, he gained renown
prosecuting sex traffickers, and street gangs, but used much of his authority to seek out government corruption. He went 130-0 as a prosecutor in corruption cases. He subpoenaed New Jersey junior Senator Robert Menendez while he was running for election in 2006 at the behest of the Bush administration, dogging Menendez for years before he was finally cleared in 2011.

Christie was considered a potential favorite for the GOP in the 2012 presidential race, but sat it out, seemingly biding his time while prepping for the 2016 elections by trying to shed some pounds via gastric bypass surgery (a poorly kept “secret”), and attempts at pandering by making a fool of himself on Jimmy Fallon for a complete image makeover. It looked like in spite of the grumbling from GOP rivals who tried painting him as “too moderate”, he looked like he would be the far-and-away frontrunner, especially how his PR department had masterfully tried to use their “Stronger than the Storm” campaign to portray him as the hero of Hurricane Sandy, showing him working with President Obama prior to the 2012 election (which many Republicans somehow thought should disqualify him from consideration). This photo, in particular, was the high point of the possibility of a future President Christie.


The problem, though, is he’s still got thin skin, a temper that flares when it’s pointed in his direction, a well-earned reputation as a bully, a track record of bearing petty grudges and perhaps being as corrupt in his abuse of power as governor as any of the men he prosecuted while serving as New Jersey’s U.S. State Attorney. (Here’s a rundown of his bullying moments, separately).

Not to mention, his administration has been rife with the corruption he once fought.

• In 2009, Christie cut money to the New Jersey Dept. of Environmental Protection on the argument that it was “killing business”.
• Since New Jersey elected Chris Christie governor, his policies have caused the state to see its credit rating lowered a record 8, count ‘em, EIGHT times. The last one was primarily due to the governor breaking a promise to put $2.5 billion of owed money into the pensions of state employee benefits.
• Speaking of Gov. Christie being terrible with retirees… for those who have yet to retire, Chris Christie would like to raise the age required to receive Social Security benefits, as he discussed in 2011.
• May 2011: Under fire for using a state helicopter for his personal use to be flown to his son’s high school basketball games, Christie is forced to reimburse over $2000 to the state of New Jersey.
• February 16th, 2012 saw New Jersey’s State Legislature pass a referendum to allow for marriage equality. Chris Christie vetoed that bill the next day, and began pushing for an amendment to the New Jersey State Constitution to ban gay marriage in his state. His veto would be overturned in the courts, and Christie took every legal recourse to fight against marriage equality, filing appeals to delay its passage as long as possible, but eventually relenting to the will of the state legislature and New Jersey Supreme Court.
• February 23rd, 2012 had Christie appearing as a guest on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”, and when asked by openly gay correspondent Jonathon Capeheart about his veto of gay marriage earlier in the week, he snapped.
• With calls around the country to increase the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to support the working class and make it in some way a “living wage”, the New Jersey State Legislature passed a bill to raise it to $8.50 an hour. Chris Christie, in spite of a great majority being in favor of the increase, chose to veto the bill in January 2013.
• After the death of Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the majority of citizens in New Jersey were expecting the election to name his permanent replacement would be placed on the 2013 ballot, along with Gov. Christie’s gubernatorial re-election bid. Instead, Christie ordered a special election in mid-August, instead, at a cost of $25 million to New Jersey taxpayers.
• September 9th-13th, 2013 saw the perplexing decision to close several lanes of the George Washington Bridge near Fort Lee, New Jersey, leaving tens of thousands of travelers stranded on the interstate, arguably with some having medical emergencies that left ambulances unable to easily reach them. The closures were apparently ordered by key aides of Gov. Christie, as a form of retribution against the mayor of Fort Lee for not supporting the governor’s re-election campaign.
  
  The forboding text “time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee” from Christie’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Bridget Kelly, was a damning bit of evidence.
  
  Christie’s campaign manager and longtime friend, David Stepien, would be forced to resign, as would David Samson, the chairman of the Port Authority.”
  
  The investigation, or should I say, investigations, plural (several agencies are looking into the manner) to this bit of “punishment” to Fort Lee’s mayor are ongoing, but with several key aides who directly work underneath Gov. Christie involved, it is still yet to be determined if he will avoid any appearances in court over the manner. A class action lawsuit from travelers left stuck in traffic over this deliberate decision to cause a traffic jam is also pending.
• By January 13th, Gov. Christie began to also take criticism for his handling of Hurricane Sandy relief money. Almost 14 months after the storm, many citizens had yet to receive much-needed aid to rebuild, but where shocked when it was revealed $25 million of the aid was set aside for the “Stronger than the Storm” ads that were used as little more than propaganda by Christie to place himself in free political ads.
• Before the heat from the Fort Lee Scandal had even cooled on January 20th, Christie came under fire from Hoboken mayor Dawn Zimmer, who claimed that Christie’s Lieutenant Governor, Kim Guadagno, had contacted her over a development project, and that if Zimmer did not cooperate with the desires of the Governor’s Office, relief funds from Superstorm Sandy would be withheld.
• March 2014: Gov. Christie is dogged by reports that he gave away pieces of wreckage from the 9-11 site as gifts to mayors who supported his bid for re-election as a reward for their assistance.
  The legality of this quid pro quo was questioned, as well as the boundaries of good taste.
• July 3rd, 2014: In the wake of mass shootings across the country the previous 18 months, the New Jersey State Legislature passed a law to restrict high-capacity magazines for guns, Gov. Christie chose to veto it, claiming:
  
  “This is the very embodiment of reform in name only. It simply defies common sense to believe that imposing a new and entirely arbitrary number of bullets that can be lawfully loaded into a firearm will somehow eradicate, or even reduce, future instances of mass violence. Nor is it sufficient to claim that a ten-round capacity might spare an eleventh victim.”
• There is an FBI, as well as a federal, and statewide investigation into the Christie administration’s mismanagement
  of Hurricane Sandy funding, and the czar he named to handle it resigned on July 8th, 2014.
• October 30th, 2014: The latest, and possibly greatest example of Chris Christie’s temper is shown at an event he staged on the 2 year anniversary of Hurricane Sandy occurs as Bill Keady, a former Asbury Park City Councilman shows up, and begins heckling the governor to “Finish the job”. This causes Christie to deride the local business owner as not having done anything for his community (in spite of having participated in local government) for nearly two solid minutes.

So after being a Republican superstar and being considered as a dream candidate for 2012 who bowed out, in the past two years, Chris Christie has tanked himself in approval rating polls (falling well over 20 points in the past 20 months), and has special prosecutors breathing down on both the federal, and state level in completely separate scandals. With his tendency to flip out and yell at reporters or hecklers at the drop of a hat, he’s not likely to be ready for a national campaign without flipping his lid and flailing about like some extra from The Sopranos.

Whether or not he runs for president anyway and continues his feud with Rand Paul, though… well, we’ll just have to wait and see. But perhaps a guy with a temper isn’t the first person I’d want to be put in charge of “the button”.

[Tendrin]

They have been pushing for changes to minimum prison sentencing for pot offenses which disproportionately effect African Americans. Also, protecting their right to vote from unnecessary voter ID laws, and disenfranchise them.

Yeah. It's a start. Unfortunately, voter ID laws are passing all over the country, because too many people assume it won't/can't happen to them. Of course, aside from bogus studies claiming non-citizens are voting (despite all the evidence to the contrary) people seem perfectly fine with Voter ID requirements in a lot of places.

I've had this disagreement with my own mom. 'You need ID to all these kinds of things! Why don't you need ID to prove you're a person who's eligible to vote?!'.

(Incidentally, did you have a chance to check out the neo-reactionary link I cited?)

[CSTowle]

I'd like to see Democrats pushing to make it easier to get a Non-Driver photo ID in rural areas. In my area you might have to travel 30-50 miles to get to a place that will provide one. And if you don't drive (maybe you're old, or poor and never learned) and there's no reliable/cheap public transportation I'd imagine it's pretty difficult for some people. Maybe filling out an online application and answering questions while using your SSN and such. I know there's a large opportunity for identity theft there, but if we can file our taxes online I see no reason we couldn't give IDs a shot. Also, if you're eligible for Government Assistance perhaps providing you with a free Non-Driver photo ID would be a help.

Fighting back against laws that stop people from helping to organize communities to register to vote would be a help as well. If they want greater oversight I'd be fine with that, but looking at the numbers and the admissions of some Republicans speaking when they probably shouldn't have it's obvious that the aim of these "voter fraud" laws is to disenfranchise certain segments of voters and to keep voter turnout low. I know we don't have many posters on the right (or not many who admit to such), but what do you think it says about your party of choice that when more people come out to vote it's bad for your party and that your best tools for winning elections aren't grassroots campaigns/door-to-door stumping but rather rampant, organized (not isolated incidents, in other words, but the aim of the party across the country) voter suppression and gerrymandering?

The Democrats may be guilty of the same on that latter, but not to the same extent and you don't see any voter suppression. The worst "voter fraud" you saw was people getting paid to turn in registration forms filling them out with Disney characters and getting paid. As Stewart/Colbert said, it's not like Mickey Mouse was showing up to use those registrations. I'm just happy to see I'm voting for the party that tries to register people and encourage them to vote, rather than the one that actively suppresses voting.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

WBE: Many thanks for the profile on Chris Christie, it was brilliant. Everything your wrote about him was spot on, and then some. The Fatman has, at times, acted more like a hot tempered capo with an itchy trigger finger than a responsible, levelheaded governor. And the smarmy scandals Christie's been involved in (most notably, "Bridgegate") has made him look exactly like the sort of scoundrel he had been tasked with bringing to justice when he was a state attorney. As for any 2016 White House aspirations Christie might have, I've already said he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of ending up in the Oval Office, between those scandals clinging to him like barnacles to a ship's hull and that hair trigger temper he either can't keep in check, or chooses not to control at all, the Fatman just doesn't have what it takes to be president. And yeah, I damn sure don't want HIS finger on "the button". That prospect is far scarier than any Stephen King novel.

Yeah. It's a start. Unfortunately, voter ID laws are passing all over the country, because too many people assume it won't/can't happen to them. Of course, aside from bogus studies claiming non-citizens are voting (despite all the evidence to the contrary) people seem perfectly fine with Voter ID requirements in a lot of places.

Voter ID didn't pass in Pennsylvania where I live, despite plenty of pushing for the law by state Republicans (one of whom came right out and said the goal of the law was to tilt the scales on the side of the state GOP on election day) and our feckless, soon to be ex-governor Tom Corbett. As for people who are fine with Voter ID, I suspect they either vote Republican and want to see their party come out on top, or simply don't understand, or don't care how this blatant scam disenfranchises citizens and weakens the democratic process as a whole for everyone.

[Spike-X]

The Fatman...the Fatman...

Could you not?

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Could you not?

Calm down, I'm not being insulting, if that was what you implied. In an odd way, Chris Christie reminds me of a character from this 1970's TV show:

Attachment 12484

I watched the show back in the day, and, to be honest, the late William Conrad was a lot more loveable than Christie ever will be.

[Michael P]

WBE: Many thanks for the profile on Chris Christie, it was brilliant. Everything your wrote about him was spot on, and then some. The Fatman has, at times, acted more like a hot tempered capo with an itchy trigger finger than a responsible, levelheaded governor. And the smarmy scandals Christie's been involved in (most notably, "Bridgegate") has made him look exactly like the sort of scoundrel he had been tasked with bringing to justice when he was a state attorney. As for any 2016 White House aspirations Christie might have, I've already said he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of ending up in the Oval Office, between those scandals clinging to him like barnacles to a ship's hull and that hair trigger temper he either can't keep in check, or chooses not to control at all, the Fatman just doesn't have what it takes to be president. And yeah, I damn sure don't want HIS finger on "the button". That prospect is far scarier than any Stephen King novel.

Since you mentioned King, I guess I'll note that Christie reminds me of no one so much as Big Jim Rennie from Under the Dome. (The book, not the TV show.)

[AgPhoenix]

Unfortunately, reparations for slavery are a non-starter.

Unfortunately.

But prison and policing reform would be a good place to start.

To add to this, I have 3 words for everyone here.

Voting Rights Act, because it seems like disenfranchisement is not only happening more often (This is probably due to Social Media being so pervasive, now and days), but those who are engaging it are much more blatant about it.

[Shawn Hopkins]

Election tomorrow. I wish it was legal for us to go around to Democrats' homes and hit other Democrats with a stick until they get off their lazy asses and go vote, because that way Grimes could win. But nope, we're so stupid we only pay attention during the Presidential, so more Mitch it will be.

[Mister Mets]

Unfortunately, reparations for slavery are a non-starter.

Unfortunately.

But prison and policing reform would be a good place to start.

Police reform's tough for several reasons. The police are generally high up in terms of respected professions. African Americans tend to live in areas with higher crime rates, so something that makes things tougher for the cops may make life worse for the residents.

They have been pushing for changes to minimum prison sentencing for pot offenses which disproportionately effect African Americans. Also, protecting their right to vote from unnecessary voter ID laws, and disenfranchise them.

If a Democratic politician is asked what he or she is doing to make things better for African Americans, "I'm making it easier for you to vote for me" should not be one of the first five answers.

[Double 0]

Police reform's tough for several reasons. The police are generally high up in terms of respected professions. African Americans tend to live in areas with higher crime rates, so something that makes things tougher for the cops may make life worse for the residents.

Cops are making life worse for the residents too. Arrests, even minor ones, really hampers a person's chance at decent employment, especially when black. And when the person arrested is meant to be the money earner of a family, that messes the whole family up.

If a Democratic politician is asked what he or she is doing to make things better for African Americans, "I'm making it easier for you to vote for me" should not be one of the first five answers.

Right, but it's not just that; it's "I'm making it easier for you to vote, period."

[Shawn Hopkins]

If a Democratic politician is asked what he or she is doing to make things better for African Americans, "I'm making it easier for you to vote for me" should not be one of the first five answers.

I don't know about top five, but it should certainly be an answer. Voting rights are a huge issue for the black community, especially considering how many black men (about 13 percent) have lost theirs because of past criminal convictions and how hard you have to fight to get them restored. NAACP President Cornell Brooks also just said restoring the Voting Rights Act is his top priority.

http://www.ohio.com/news/local/naacp...ights-1.537625

[7thangel]

Yeah. It's a start. Unfortunately, voter ID laws are passing all over the country, because too many people assume it won't/can't happen to them. Of course, aside from bogus studies claiming non-citizens are voting (despite all the evidence to the contrary) people seem perfectly fine with Voter ID requirements in a lot of places.

I've had this disagreement with my own mom. 'You need ID to all these kinds of things! Why don't you need ID to prove you're a person who's eligible to vote?!'.

(Incidentally, did you have a chance to check out the neo-reactionary link I cited?)

some are passing, but it's not because people don't know it could happen to them, it's passing because a court in certain states have upheld the new laws, sometimes after another court stopped the new law.