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

[Malvolio]

Said it before, will say it again: I can't keep you guys straight because you all make the same arguments. You and Malvolio took the exact same position that Trump cannot have been merely dispensing his idea of a joke, nor did either of you substantively dispute my theory: you both just re-asserted that he meant exactly what he said, without any of humor's distancing effects, and so he *must* be revealing his true status as the modern Caligula.

The dating Ivanka thing, I might see as a joke, considering how many fathers sublimate attraction toward their teenage daughters into being over-protective of those daughters, but when it comes to the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous piece, I can't think of anyone, ANYONE else, who would speculate on how his one-year-old daughter's breasts will look like when she grows up. So I repeat, who does that?

[Tendrin]

Curtailing the surveillance state is great but, y'know, under the current regime, I can't help but think that efforts at curtailing it by Republicans would be an indirect way of weakening the agencies that warned us about Russian efforts.

[worstblogever]

I protest. He's more like Nero.

Let's see on Trump/Caligula comparisons...

Caligula made his horse a Senator.
Trump endorsed Roy Moore, a racist pedophile, for Senate.

Not the same, and somehow, the moral advantage goes to Caligula.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, as well as 2017, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Ed Orcutt, a former forester who is currently still serving in the Washington State House of Representatives, serving District 20. Orcutt became a bit of a laughing stock a few years back when he proposed a tax upon bicyclists for creating more damage to the atmosphere than automobiles, because all the physical action required to pedal a bike causes increased respiration, and thus, in his mind, greater CO2 output, which damages that atmosphere. Scientists explained to him it doesn’t quite work like that, and bike enthusiasts online made mincemeat out of his proposed legislation (beware the “Big Bike” Lobby, apparently). We also recognized Orcutt for his opposition to public works projects, even after the Skagit River Bridge collapsed in 2012, for trying to use the argument that “11 of the 12 sections of the bridge are still standing”, which kind of indicates he might be dumb enough to not understand bridges need to GO ALL THE WAY ACROSS. To round things out, Orcutt is also decidedly socially conservative, having voted against minimum wage increases (during the greatest period of income equality in the United States in almost a century), against police body cameras being made mandatory (during the greatest period of police violence in our country in decades), voting for abortion restrictions without exceptions for rape, incest, or risk to the life of the mother, trying to not only prevent gay marriage and even gay adoption, while voting against a statewide ban on gay conversion therapy.

It’s interesting to see that Ed Orcutt has not faced a Democrat in an election for his rural seat since 2008, and has coasted to re-election in the past 4 election cycles, unopposed in 2010, only challenged by fellow Republican John Morgan in 2012 and 2014, and completely unchallenged again in 2016. He’s still only 54, even after being in office for 15 years with no term limits to stop him from potentially giving us some more examples of what rock stupid looks like…

There’s plenty of hope in a lot of races around the country in 2018, and in the Washington state legislature, that is demonstrated by Orcutt getting a Democratic challenger for the first time in a decade in the form of local 27-year-old real estate dealer and teacher Brennan Bailey, who currently serves as president of the Chehalis School Board. He announced far in advance to pressure Orcutt to finally come to the center on votes, and admitted his surprise in the amount of vocal support he’s received. Orcutt, however, continues to pull ahead in fundraising from the logging industry, so it will be interesting to see how it pans out.

[Iron Maiden]

The dating Ivanka thing, I might see as a joke, considering how many fathers sublimate attraction toward their teenage daughters into being over-protective of those daughters, but when it comes to the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous piece, I can't think of anyone, ANYONE else, who would speculate on how his one-year-old daughter's breasts will look like when she grows up. So I repeat, who does that?

And he also agreed to have a baby with Melania as long as she got back into shape. He also told Howard Stern it was OK to say Ivanka was a piece of ass while she was still a teenager. I know if my dad had said stuff like Trump does I would have been creeped out by it.

As Donald’s celebrity ballooned with The Apprentice, Melania was asked to tolerate even more. His public interchanges with Howard Stern, which provided a kind of Greek chorus to their relationship, went from lewdly objectifying to grotesque. He agreed with Stern that his daughter Ivanka was “a piece of ass.” He joked that if Melania were in a horrible, mangling car crash he’d still love her as long as the breasts remained intact. When asked by Stern whether he’d be up for “banging 24-year-olds,” Trump eagerly assented. Subsequent accusations suggest similar improprieties.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and Trump often were in the same social circles in NYC. In 1993 he invited him to attend the White House Correspondents Association Dinner with other guests at the Vanity Fair tables. Trump admittedly was his "novelty guest" but he didn't know it.

Novelty guests don’t know they’re novelty guests. They just think they’re guests. That evening in May 1993, Vanity Fair had two tables and we filled them with the likes of Christopher Hitchens, Bob Shrum, Barry Diller and Diane von Furstenberg, Peggy Noonan, Tipper Gore, and Vendela Kirsebom, a Swedish model who professionally went by her first name and who was then at or near the top of the catwalk heap. I sat Trump beside Vendela, thinking that she would get a kick out of him. This was not the case. After 45 minutes she came over to my table, almost in tears, and pleaded with me to move her. It seems that Trump had spent his entire time with her assaying the “****” and legs of the other female guests and asking how they measured up to those of other women, including his wife. “He is,” she told me, in words that seemed familiar, “the most vulgar man I have ever met.”

He has a juvenile fixation on women as just a collection of body parts that appeal to him. That it even extends to his children is gross and more than a little strange IMO.

[Iron Maiden]

Let's see on Trump/Caligula comparisons...

Caligula made his horse a Senator.
Trump endorsed Roy Moore, a racist pedophile, for Senate.

Not the same, and somehow, the moral advantage goes to Caligula.

and remember Roy Moore rode to the voting booth on a horse...and by most experts accounts, was a terrible horsemen.

IIRC both Caligula and Nero were very, very fond of their sisters so there's that incestuous stuff there too.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Rand Paul Says Calling Trump ‘A Racist’ Hurts Immigration Talks

The Republican senator added that it was “unfair” to portray the president as a racist, despite his alleged “shithole” comments. Unfair? I'd say it's quite fair. Would Cheeto Jesus have said what he did about countries with a Caucasian population? What do you think? Meanwhile....

**********

Paul Ryan Calls Trump ‘Shithole’ Comments ‘Very Unfortunate, Unhelpful’

The House Speaker refrained from pointed criticism, but said the president’s comments reminded him of the oppression his own family once faced. Wow! Eddie Munster sure put his foot down and called out Trump for his disgusting comments.

**********

Trump Says Program To Protect Dreamers Is ‘Probably Dead,’ Blames Democrats

“DACA is probably dead because the Democrats don’t really want it,” he tweeted. How the holy **** would he know? More digital diarrhea from Orange Foolius.

**********

Jeff Flake Slams Trump’s Attacks On Press As Stalinist

The Republican senator will give a speech on Wednesday addressing Trump’s attacks against the press. And all because Pissy POTUS can't handle anything negative said about him.

**********

NAACP Demands End Of ‘Patient Dumping’ After Woman Left Outside Hospital

The woman, who was filmed wearing only socks and a gown, is said to be “a lot better” after reuniting with family.

[Tendrin]

Let's see on Trump/Caligula comparisons...

Caligula made his horse a Senator.
Trump endorsed Roy Moore, a racist pedophile, for Senate.

Not the same, and somehow, the moral advantage goes to Caligula.

Nero fiddled while Rome burned, or so the saying goes, while for all his hypocritical complaining about Obama's golfing, he literally is fiddling while setting up the planet to burn :P

[JCAll]

Nero fiddled while Rome burned, or so the saying goes, while for all his hypocritical complaining about Obama's golfing, he literally is fiddling while setting up the planet to burn :P

Historically speaking, Nero was at his vacation home while Rome burned. Then he stole the property that was ruined to build himself a new palace. Then he picked a religious minority to blame for the whole thing.
...
I can see where the comparison comes from.

[Malvolio]

And he also agreed to have a baby with Melania as long as she got back into shape. He also told Howard Stern it was OK to say Ivanka was a piece of ass while she was still a teenager. I know if my dad had said stuff like Trump does I would have been creeped out by it.



Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and Trump often were in the same social circles in NYC. In 1993 he invited him to attend the White House Correspondents Association Dinner with other guests at the Vanity Fair tables. Trump admittedly was his "novelty guest" but he didn't know it.



He has a juvenile fixation on women as just a collection of body parts that appeal to him. That it even extends to his children is gross and more than a little strange IMO.

Yes. There are plenty of men who have "...a juvenile fixation on women as just a collection of body parts..." but I can't think of anyone else who has sexualized his own daughter when she wasn't even old enough to talk.

[PaulBullion]

Said it before, will say it again: I can't keep you guys straight because you all make the same arguments. You and Malvolio took the exact same position that Trump cannot have been merely dispensing his idea of a joke, nor did either of you substantively dispute my theory: you both just re-asserted that he meant exactly what he said, without any of humor's distancing effects, and so he *must* be revealing his true status as the modern Caligula.

I have actually disagreed with Malvolio quite a bit. The fact that we look the same to you is that you are so far over in extremism land, you'd need a hubble telescope to see nuance.

[PaulBullion]

Along this line(and obviously assuming they are running against the current President), I cannot stress enough that I would hope that The Democratic Party and it's base have learned to think "Bigger Picture" about who they choose to nominate.

While they are obviously free to nominate folks who will run on that they just need their base to win, that is a plan where you need the equivalent of a Straight at the very least to have a chance at leaving the table with the pot.

That will be hard to do if you nominate someone who throws cards they need away or reduces the chances of winding up with that straight.

Should they do so, realize only part of that blame is the voter's fault.

Now, what did we tell you in the past about you of all people giving advice to Democrats?

[Dalak]

Along this line(and obviously assuming they are running against the current President), I cannot stress enough that I would hope that The Democratic Party and it's base have learned to think "Bigger Picture" about who they choose to nominate.

While they are obviously free to nominate folks who will run on that they just need their base to win, that is a plan where you need the equivalent of a Straight at the very least to have a chance at leaving the table with the pot.

That will be hard to do if you nominate someone who throws cards they need away or reduces the chances of winding up with that straight.

Should they do so, realize only part of that blame is the voter's fault.

Now, what did we tell you in the past about you of all people giving advice to Democrats?

[PaulBullion]

Spooky:

British Typhoon jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian bombers as they approached the UK over the North Sea, the RAF has confirmed.

The Russian Blackjack planes were not talking to air traffic control, and came within 35 miles (56km) of UK airspace at the closest point, the Ministry of Defence said.

It comes at a time of heightened tension between the West and Russia, with three similar incidents occurring in the past year.

http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-426970...alflow_twitter

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

"Yes, a homophobic, Latino-hating, Muslim-hating, racist, sexist pg won the US presidency, but for a beautiful moment I got to stamp my feet and help push through one of the most hated and unappealing political candidates of all time who was going through a political scandal that resonated with the American people and was virtually the only person in the world who could of lost to Trump all while feeling superior for calling supporters of her primary rivals "Bernie Bros" and implying they were misogynists right before I begged them to ignore all that and act like it never happened to vote for her too. You'd understand if you saw how many people on twitter liked and retweeted all my #WithHer hastags.