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

[Jack Dracula]

“seditious conspiracy; interference with interstate commerce by threats or violence; possession of an unregistered firearm; carrying firearms during the commission of violent crimes; interstate transportation of firearms with the intent to commit violent crimes; interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle (four counts)” and in 1988 for “conspiracy to escape [Leavenworth prison], to transport explosives with intent to kill and injure people, and to destroy government buildings and property; aiding and abetting travel in interstate commerce to carry on arson (two counts); using a telephone to carry on arson (two counts)”. (also bomb materials found in his apartment and a fellow terrorist testified he was trained by Oscar in bombmaking, FALN did more than 130 bombs attacks from 1974 to 1983 killing six and injuring many more)

vs

misdemeanor contempt of court

See the difference?

157 human beings died in Arpaio's jail and concentration camp. 75 of them were listed as "unknown circumstances." Of the remainder 39 were labeled as "suicides." Of the remaining 43 two died from being denied medical treatment while in custody. One from a stomach ulcer. For the crime of riding a bike on the wrong side of the street, He died in pain on the floor of a cell coughing up his own blood. The other was a woman who fell into a diabetic coma after being denied insulin.
Arpaio cost the taxpayers of his city over $140,000,000 in lawsuits and used his departments money and resources to investigate and harass two judges and their families for the "crime" of trying to make him do his job according to the laws he had sworn to uphold.
And after all of that he still would not stop harassing and torturing people entrusted to his care. In fact he repeatedly bragged about it to anyone who would listen.
"Poor old Joe"
That's the man you're defending. That's the man the idiot you voted for pardoned and called a "good guy."
Of course he's white so he gets a free pass.

[BeastieRunner]

I'm sure WBE is reaching for the booze again.

Now ... you know he's gonna die from ass cancer? He deserves a drink.

[Tendrin]

Now ... you know he's gonna die from ass cancer? He deserves a drink.

I think we're all lined up on the WBE death pool on 'ass cancer'.

[worstblogever]

Now ... you know he's gonna die from ass cancer? He deserves a drink.

I think we're all lined up on the WBE death pool on 'ass cancer'.

I mean... thank you? I think?

[worstblogever]

Part of me worries that Trump is going to treat this as a campaign trip instead of a humanitarian action.

Plus, being close to poor people gives him hives.

You would probably be correct, as Trump is a man who has proven himself through the decades of being incapable of showing genuine empathy.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Trump Makes Devastating Hurricane All About Trump

“What a crowd, what a turnout.” It's hard to rage at Trump because he's just behaving like he's always behaved....like a glory hunting assclown. Meanwhile....

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Here’s What You Need To Know About Harvey On Wednesday Morning

More rain and another landfall are on the way. Meanwhile....

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Hurricane Harvey Response At Risk If Congress Misses Looming Deadlines

It’s not a good time for a government shutdown. Which, by the way, is what Darth Cheddar has threatened to do if doesn't get funding for his goddamn wall. Just so you know.

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Houston Flooding Always Hits Poor, Non-White Neighborhoods Hardest

Harvey’s floodwaters run thick with petrochemicals in some communities, the result of unbridled industry, Wild West regulations and environmental racism.

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Ann Coulter Says She’d Blame Hurricane On Lesbian Mayor Before Climate Change

Every time that creature opens it's mouth, we get proof Coulter is an enemy of human decency.

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And in non-Harvey news:

North Korea Says Missile Test Was Threat For Guam

Kim Jong Un said the test was necessary to undertake more exercises with the Pacific as the target.

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Trump Investigators Are Just Getting Started With The Russia Emails

A string of reports suggest Trump associates were eager to use their coziness with Russia to the campaign’s advantage.

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Transgender Military Members At Risk Of Harassment Under Trump, Says Former Army Secretary

“And here the commander-in-chief is essentially saying it’s okay to discriminate against this group of people.”

[worstblogever]

At this point, it's starting to not just look like the Trump campaign had everyone talking to the Russians, but that there could have been separate individuals within it talking to entirely different Russians within the campaign without either knowing what the other was doing. Like, Sessions had chats with Kislyak, and Manafort, Don. Jr., and Kushner had another meeting with Russian lawyers and envoys, and whereas Cohen and Sater were chatting with Russian bankers that are effectively the Russian state.

People are going to jail. It's a question of when, not if.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, 2015, as well as 2016, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of the U.S. House Representative from Georgia’s 10th District, Jody Hice, who, prior to his election to office in 2014, we warned that Pastor Hice had already made several controversial statements, such as arguing against the existence of a separation of church and state, referring to homosexuality as beastiality, and denying acknowledging that Islam was an actual religion, so therefore, in his mind, the First Amendment of the Constitution does not apply to Muslims. While our update on Hice in 2015 was mostly a discussion of his abysmal voting record, we did pause to look at Hice's further thoughts on what he considers the “so-called separation of church and state”, calling it a “false belief", and that secular government causes increases in violence, gangs, and teen pregnancy. Hice has talked less, with the biggest focus of his power of a legislator being that he considers renaming parks after Nancy Reagan to be a higher priority to doing anything else to help the country, like say, funding the prevention of the Zika Virus. Just for one example.

Jody Hice did not face a Democratic challenger in 2016 and went back to the House to make a nuisance of himself:

• February 16th, 2017: Hice votes for HJR 69, to make it legal for hunters on wildlife reserves to kill several species of hibernating bears or wolves while they’re sleeping. Because… well, the logic really isn’t there as to why, it’s just awful.
• March 16th, 2017: Jody Hice votes for HR 1181, which would allow veterans deemed mentally incompetent to continue to own firearms, and not have them taken away without a judge's written order. We feel safer already.
• March 28th, 2017: Rep. Hice votes for SJ Res 34, which allowed internet providers to sell the data information of their customers' internet usage to businesses. Well, so much for privacy.
• May 4th, 2017: Hice votes for the House GOP's healthcare plan, that would kick roughly 24 million people off their health insurance plans, allow up to 28,000 more people to die a year, give $50,000 in tax breaks to millionaires, and would eliminate coverage for pre-existing conditions which would include such medical conditions as pregnancy (current or past), post-partum depression, or prior sexual assault. Oh, and a provision in the bill would make sure that Hice would be allowed to keep his healthcare plan as it exists under the ACA, which would be repealed for the rest of the country. He and his Republican compatriots threw themselves a beer bash to celebrate taking away healthcare from millions and then gloated about it with Donald Trump at a White House press conference, as well.
• June 8th, 2017: Jody Hice votes for HR 10, the GOP’s attempt to repeal Dodd-Frank financial reform, because what the country really needs is to allow the big banks to make the same mistakes that imploded the economy only a decade earlier.

We still don’t know if Jody Hice is getting a Democratic challenger in 2018, and to be honest, with the strong +15 Republican lean in Georgia’s 10th, it seems unlikely that one would be able to show him the door. What is happening, though, is a Republican primary challenger named Chalis Montgomery has come along to run to Hice’s left, arguing that the Affordable Care Act should not be repealed (and GOP repeal attempts have about 20-25% favorability so far). It’s admittedly a long shot campaign, but should be interesting to see unfold.

[Tami]

At this point, it's starting to not just look like the Trump campaign had everyone talking to the Russians, but that there could have been separate individuals within it talking to entirely different Russians within the campaign without either knowing what the other was doing. Like, Sessions had chats with Kislyak, and Manafort, Don. Jr., and Kushner had another meeting with Russian lawyers and envoys, and whereas Cohen and Sater were chatting with Russian bankers that are effectively the Russian state.

People are going to jail. It's a question of when, not if.

The Beat with Ari Melber had an interesting segment on Trump and Pardons. Trump could give everyone involved blanket pardons, which might or might not shut down the Muller investigation. But if that happens the States could take over since many of these possible crimes could be prosecuted on the State Level and Trump can't use his Pardon on State Level crimes.

[worstblogever]

The Beat with Ari Melber had an interesting segment on Trump and Pardons. Trump could give everyone involved blanket pardons, which might or might not shut down the Muller investigation. But if that happens the States could take over since many of these possible crimes could be prosecuted on the State Level and Trump can't use his Pardon on State Level crimes.

Yep. And we already know the A.G. in both Virginia, and in New York are game. Trump Tower's located in New York. Eric Schneiderman's in the catbird seat to help Mueller hand Trump his ass even if he tries that trick.

And even if he tried it, holy f***, would they all look guilty as hell. Like, the ramifications on 2018 if Trump tries excusing treason? LOL, that would be it.

[Tendrin]

I mean... thank you? I think?

Anytime, WBE! You've earned it! <3

[Gray Lensman]

Yep. And we already know the A.G. in both Virginia, and in New York are game. Trump Tower's located in New York. Eric Schneiderman's in the catbird seat to help Mueller hand Trump his ass even if he tries that trick.

And even if he tried it, holy f***, would they all look guilty as hell. Like, the ramifications on 2018 if Trump tries excusing treason? LOL, that would be it.

Considering how thorough Mueller seems to have been so far, I wouldn't doubt that he has already thought of this. I wonder if the relevant AG's are either already in the loop, or he just has everything in a neat little package to send them the moment any federal pardons hit.

[Tami]

Considering how thorough Mueller seems to have been so far, I wouldn't doubt that he has already thought of this. I wonder if the relevant AG's are either already in the loop, or he just has everything in a neat little package to send them the moment any federal pardons hit.

Or both. Thinking of something Rachel Maddow said once, if I remember it correctly, about how the Watergate investigators feared that the evidence they collected would be destroyed so they split it up and each member took some of it home for safekeeping.

I don't think Mueller would do that, but I can imagine he'd place whatever safeguards he can in place. No one wants to see their hard work flushed down the commode before it is completed and put to use.

[ZombieHavoc]

From January, via Jacobin Magazine: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/01/o...prisoner-faln/

The jubilation over López Rivera’s commutation — not a pardon, but a curtailing of his sentence — has cut across all political tendencies in Puerto Rico, from the socialist left to the Green-ish Independence Party to the centrist Popular Democratic Party to the increasingly hard-right Statehood Party.

The widespread support for someone like López Rivera, a former leader of the militant leftist group, the Armed Forces of National Liberation (FALN), is a reflection of the colonial yoke that Puerto Ricans have suffered under for centuries.

[Jackmando7]

At this point, it's starting to not just look like the Trump campaign had everyone talking to the Russians, but that there could have been separate individuals within it talking to entirely different Russians within the campaign without either knowing what the other was doing. Like, Sessions had chats with Kislyak, and Manafort, Don. Jr., and Kushner had another meeting with Russian lawyers and envoys, and whereas Cohen and Sater were chatting with Russian bankers that are effectively the Russian state.

People are going to jail. It's a question of when, not if.

Do you guys think this is the 1st time Russia has influenced one of our elections? Do we ever try to influence theirs?