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

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2015, 2016, as well as 2017, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, who uses her office to serve, alternatively as a puppet for Florida Governor Rick Scott, and to waste taxpayer money on failed lawsuits to try and overturn the Affordable Care Act, or same sex marriage, the latter case fascinating because she has been divorced multiple times, but is supposedly obsessed with “upholding the sanctity of marriage”. Among her more disturbing abuses of power include signing an amicus brief to provide support for Arizona's controversial anti-immigration law, SB 1070, trying to overturn laws to allow gun sales to 18 to 20 year olds (Note: This was in the wake of the trial of George Zimmerman in Florida after the death of Trayvon Martin.) asking Florida Governor Rick Scott to reschedule the execution of a death row inmate because it conflicted with her personal schedule so she could host her re-election fundraiser party, and an investigation that revealed that both Pam Bondi and Rick Scott had violated Florida's "Sunshine Laws" for transparency by destroying e-mails and failing to retain text messages. For someone in charge of ensuring the law is upheld, she’s remarkable for defying courts whenever possible and breaking the law quite a bit.

After winning re-election in 2014, Bondi immediately used the power of her position to dig her heels in and try to do everything she could to keep same sex couples from getting married in Florida, even beyond the point where the Supreme Court ruled in the Obergefell v. Hodges ruling, asking for delays before allowing gay marriage to happen for… reasons, and threatening to arrest individuals who performed marriage ceremonies during that would-be interim. Most could only guess as to her motivations, other than trying to make herself a martyr and later parlay that into running for higher office. Maybe she should have been more focused on the fact that up until April, unmarried couples in Florida were forbidden from living together since 1868. Convenient that she never bothered enforcing one edict about romantic partners, and hell bent about another one, right? She probably wished people didn’t remember that fact about her at one point… As tragedy struck in Orlando, Florida and the biggest mass shooting in the history of the United States took place at Pulse, a gay nightclub in the city that claimed the lives of 49 victims, Pam Bondi began After YEARS of fighting to file whatever lawsuits she could to prevent marriage equality and insisting that allowing it would cause “public harm” in the wake of the shooting, she began to posture herself as a champion of the LGBT community that would keep them safe. What she didn’t realize, though, was that she would be interviewed by the Silver Fox himself, Anderson Cooper, who was having none of it, and as professionally as a journalist can do so, effectively let her know, “I haven’t forgotten about you motherf***er.” Feel free to watch CNN’s Cooper remind her of all of her previous work with the LGBT community, and her hypocrisy at trying to play at being their friends now. It’s… breathtaking.

So the good news is, love won, and Pam Bondi lost (as she frequently does in her quixotic quests, at taxpayer expense). But there’s a far more interesting news story involving her floating around, and it just so happens to also tied into the presidential aspirations of one Donald Trump. There was talk about while Trump was being investigated for fraud in relation to Trump University, his online real-estate education program that most describe succinctly as “straight up fraud” that the New York Attorney general pursued several lawsuits on the behalf of individuals wronged by Trump’s business dealings. But as it turns out, New York wasn’t the only state to file a lawsuit on behalf of a large number of people defrauded… both Texas and Florida saw people file complaints as well. Pam Bondi received those complaints back in 2013, and shortly thereafter, Donald Trump, out of the kindness of his heart (yeah, right) decided to donate $25,000 to her re-election campaign. She never did anything to help the people he wronged, and effectively filed the case in the trash. Pam Bondi, of course, has not commented on her failure to do her job, and get $25,000 to sit on her hands by Trump (who she endorsed for president, of course). But it’s sure a disgusting bit of quid pro quo that amounts to bribery. Barring any smoking gun that leads to her being booted from office for corruption (and there is some smoke still dissipating), or an appointment to a post within the Trump administration, she looked to be Florida’s AG until 2019.

And currently, Bondi is pulling double duty, as her shady relationship with Cheeto Mussolini has seen her appointed to a White House position to serve on a commission to curtail our nation’s opioid abuse epidemic, serving under New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. Considering most of Bondi’s career as an attorney general ends in her failing to execute her agenda, and the overall incompetence of the Trump administration, and it seems unlikely the number of overdoses is coming down any time soon.

As the last few months tick down in Bondi’s tenure as Florida AG, she has yet to find a niche to run for any higher office. She still, however, is threatening to pass the last of that time doing (What else?) wasting taxpayer dollars on a frivolous lawsuit as is her pattern, this time promising to sue all the way to the Supreme Court to prevent felons who are now out of prison from having their voting rights restored. If history has shown us anything, she’s going to lose.

This looks to be the last time we profile Pam Bondi for a while, but we’re not ruling out her resurfacing in a few years to make a run for Congress.

[GindyPosts]

On Rob Rogers, the reason he got fired was because the new editor in Chief of the Post-Gazette is a hardline Trump fanatic whose first article at the newspaper was defending the "shithole countries" line.

Like, our political cartoonist at the Star is a conservative, but Gary Varvel hasn't exactly been kind to Trump, and our newspaper has a very liberal pundit in Matthew Tully as a counterpoint.

Seriously; establishment newspapers should never transform into the Moonies Times.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

They wouldn't be in power if good men had gotten off their ass and voted.

Sadly, those good men were too damn busy with their purity tests regarding the candidates to bother with actual voting. Kinda makes you wonder just how "good" those men really were.

Meanwhile, it's pretty much a slam dunk mortal lock that history will most definitely NOT treat the craven and cowardly Republicans in Congress who've relentlessly protected, shielded and enabled Trump at each and every turn kindly. The GOP (a.k.a. the Party of Trump) be forever lambasted as greedy, unprincipled opportunists who willingly trashed the Constitution and everything it stood for, just for the sake of having power for a scant few years. The real hell of it all is that Ryan, McConnell and the rest of those Republican scumbags KNOW they've betrayed the country by letting Trump run amok, and they don't care.

[Iron Maiden]

Going over WBE's thorough Pam Bondi entry, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that nothing came of her office not doing anything about the Trump University cases when she got that $25,000 donation from Trump. IIRC from the article I read at the time her staff at least tried to help them by suggesting that they hook up with the class action case from New York's AG office. It's too bad some of the winners in that suit died before they were awarded their portion of the settlement.

[Surf]

On Rob Rogers, the reason he got fired was because the new editor in Chief of the Post-Gazette is a hardline Trump fanatic whose first article at the newspaper was defending the "shithole countries" line.

Like, our political cartoonist at the Star is a conservative, but Gary Varvel hasn't exactly been kind to Trump, and our newspaper has a very liberal pundit in Matthew Tully as a counterpoint.

Seriously; establishment newspapers should never transform into the Moonies Times.

That's a drop. When you grow up in Indiana from a certain time Gary Varvel is pretty much the stock political cartoonist overall. I'm 42 and I remember (when ink and print Newspapers were actually a thing) as a kid when that guy was drawing Regan cartoons.

[GindyPosts]

That's a drop. When you grow up in Indiana from a certain time Gary Varvel is pretty much the stock political cartoonist overall. I'm 42 and I remember (when ink and print Newspapers were actually a thing) as a kid when that guy was drawing Regan cartoons.

Well, 10 years ago, he depicted McCain as a rather cuddly creature whole Obama was a grinning nutcase who was once drawn huffing ether as a surgeon.

So, things do change.

[PaulBullion]

No, I'm sick and tired about Hillary whataboutism and the argument that those who didn't vote for her are worse than Trump supporters. At least I voted, dammit.

If you're still hurt about 2016, do something this year. It's a great chance to wrestle power away from Orange Julius himself, especially with a man who openly showered praise and admiration to a dictator while idiots abroad (*cough*Indians*cough*) say he's the greatest president ever for kissing someone's ass.

The things I am sick and tired about have a lot worse effects on the world and on real people than your feelings about people calling out your irresponsible behavior, dear.

In happier news, Manafort's officially going back to jail because of his witness tampering.

[aja_christopher]

"China: 'The US Has Launched a Trade War'"

"The US president said the new tariffs, which will start to take effect on July 6, were designed to punish China for the theft of American intellectual property and technology.

And he warned that any retaliation by Beijing would trigger another round of tariffs on Chinese goods.

That raises the specter of an intensifying trade war, which would hurt consumers, companies and the global economy. The Dow fell nearly 200 points on Friday after the tariffs were announced.

Growth forecasts for major economies are already being slashed due to the rise of protectionism. Germany's central bank cut its forecast for Europe's biggest economy on Friday."

http://money.cnn.com/2018/06/15/news...war/index.html

[PaulBullion]

They wouldn't be in power if good men had gotten off their ass and voted.

Or hadn't voted for Gary Johnson or Jill Stein or Mitt Romney's wife.

They all share a small part of the blame for children in concentration camps on American soil.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Manafort Heads to Jail After Judge Criticizes Witness Tampering

Paul Manafort was ordered locked up ahead of his two trials for bank fraud and money laundering.

U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington revoked Manafort’s bail Friday after prosecutors said Manafort, President Donald Trump’s former campaign chairman, attempted to tamper with witnesses for his trial.

Jailing him before trial adds to the pressure Manafort faces to cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller and spill any secrets he knows about Trump and the campaign. Confronting possible criminal charges in New York, Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen may have a similar choice ahead of him. Cohen hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing.

Prosecutors made the Manafort detention request on June 4, when they argued in court papers that he tried to tamper with two witnesses after he was indicted in Washington for a second time on Feb. 23. Four days later, a grand jury indicted Manafort anew, accusing him and an associate of witness tampering. Manafort has pleaded not guilty.

Yo, Paulie! Here's some free advice for you, homie....don't drop the soap in the shower! Meanwhile, speaking of Cohen....

**********

Cohen signals openness to cooperating with federal investigators

President Donald Trump's personal attorney Michael Cohen has indicated to family and friends he is willing to cooperate with federal investigators to alleviate the pressure on himself and his family, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Cohen has expressed anger with the treatment he has gotten from the President, who has minimized his relationship with Cohen, and comments from the President's lawyer Rudy Giuliani, the source said. The treatment has left him feeling isolated and more open to cooperating, the source said.

Asked by reporters Friday if he was worried about Cohen cooperating, Trump said, "I did nothing wrong, nothing wrong." He also said he hasn't spoken with Cohen "in a long time," adding, "I always liked Michael and he's a good person."

CBS News reported Thursday that Cohen believes Trump and his allies are turning against him.

For certain Spray Tan Don is warming up the Greyhound to roll over Cohen a few times now that they lawyer's usefulness to him has dropped to zero.

[PaulBullion]

Sadly, those good men were too damn busy with their purity tests regarding the candidates to bother with actual voting. Kinda makes you wonder just how "good" those men really were.

Meanwhile, it's pretty much a slam dunk mortal lock that history will most definitely NOT treat the craven and cowardly Republicans in Congress who've relentlessly protected, shielded and enabled Trump at each and every turn kindly. The GOP (a.k.a. the Party of Trump) be forever lambasted as greedy, unprincipled opportunists who willingly trashed the Constitution and everything it stood for, just for the sake of having power for a scant few years. The real hell of it all is that Ryan, McConnell and the rest of those Republican scumbags KNOW they've betrayed the country by letting Trump run amok, and they don't care.

I still bet the average voter will forget just how evil and craven the GOP is if Democrats don't fix the mess they'll inherit fast enough. Shades of 2010.

[aja_christopher]

[BeastieRunner]

Britain cited that passage during the Revolutionary War.

7 Southern states cited that passage as a reason to be against abolitionism and a reason to secede.

Worked out well for them.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Britain cited that passage during the Revolutionary War.

7 Southern states cited that passage as a reason to be against abolitionism and a reason to secede.

Worked out well for them.

But hey, these crackpots keep on trying. I guess they figure it'll work in their favor eventually.

[aja_christopher]

Agreed. I'm well aware of the seriousness of the situation, it's Ghouliani that I dismiss as a fruitloop. Meanwhile, I'm of the opinion Trump doesn't have the balls to end the Mueller probe, that would be a slam dunk admission of guilt, despite all his protestations of innocence, and something not even the craven and cowardly Republicans supporting him in Congress could ignore.

I think you might be giving the current Republican Congress way too much credit, but I suppose we'll see.

My take on it is that many of them are knowingly guilty of conspiring with the Russians to get a Republican candidate into power and further their own agenda, and they know Mueller has information that could verify as much -- the only reason they aren't openly speaking out against him as of yet is because (like Sessions) they know they might be implicated in obstructing justice as well.

That said, even if Mueller presents an open and shut case against Trump, I doubt they will show enough integrity to remove him from office for his crimes.

------
"Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday it is time for Special Counsel Robert Mueller to “wrap up” the Russia investigation.

“What I think about the Mueller investigation is, they ought to wrap it up,” the Kentucky senator told the Washington Examiner. “It’s gone on seemingly forever and I don’t know how much more they think they can find out.”

Mueller was charged with investigating potentially sinister ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, but has since expanded the scope of his probe to address other matters he has encountered, such as Trump’s personal finances and unrelated wrongdoing by campaign members.

McConnell said that as of Thursday he had not read the highly-anticipated Justice Department Inspector General’s report on “insubordinate” and “extraordinary” decisions by fired FBI Director James Comey during the Clinton email server investigation as well as political bias within the FBI.

“If the IG is through, why can’t the Mueller investigation finally wrap up?” McConnell remarked.

Senate Republicans have been more reticent than House GOP to criticize the special counsel, but both caucuses are growing more frustrated with the Russia probe as it drags on past the one-year mark.

As the midterm congressional elections approach, many members of Congress are looking to back the president in order to get reelected in districts Trump won in 2016.

Trump has railed against the investigation, calling it a “witch hunt” many times and accusing the FBI of being biased against him.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said he would like to see Mueller conclude the probe, and said his guess is that the special counsel is about ready to do so.

Vice President Mike Pence also warned Mueller last month to “wrap it up,” the first time the president’s right hand man has called for the probe to be shuttered."

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/...on-wrap-it-up/