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

[worstblogever]

It's our latest reminder of what a crock the statement "Nuh uh. Both parties are just as bad," actually is...

It’s Your Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day!
(And please, for those who those who really felt the "Both Parties are Just as Bad" statement is defensible, remember, I'm still challenging you to write your own essays each day, to keep pace with me, if it's actually "just as bad". Keep in mind, you have to pick someone from politics who has either ran for, held office within the past 5 years, and have multiple verifiable news sources to any quotes/beliefs they might have to build a solid, established track record of stupid that clearly isn't a fluke. Hell, we'll even accept people who help write party platforms within that time frame. Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 348-12, since this was established in July 2014.)


Brad Schimel

And today, we have Brad Schimel, the former district attorney of Waukesha County, Wisconsin, who ran for state Attorney General in 2014. He was endorsed strongly by and endorsed by ethically-challenged Gov. Scott Walker, which likely has a lot to do with the fact that Schimel dragged his feet during most of the investigations into Walker illegally coordinating his campaign during an election to attempt to recall him from office, including refusing to press charges against one of Walker’s lawyers after he deliberately ordered records destroyed to cover up a crime. Similarly, when State Assemblyman Joel Kleefisch was caught in a “pay to play” scenario where he submitted a bill that was being pushed as a favor to cut the child support payments for one of his wealthy donors, Schimel also refused to prosecute that case. So in that sense, it makes sense that the Wisconsin GOP would push this guy into a role to turn a blind eye to whatever corruption they’re undertaking at the highest levels.

And Schimel was more than up front about the fact that he would use his power as Wisconsin Attorney General to support Scott Walker and the Wisconsin GOP’s policies to their fullest, including his declaration that Wisconsin didn’t need a minimum wage increase, they just needed “real jobs” in the state that they would create. This in Wisconsin, where the minimum wage still sits at $7.25 an hour, which cannot afford a two-bedroom apartment on an 80 hour work week.

It seemed like Schimel would quietly make his way into the A.G.’s seat until he had an interview on a cable access TV Show, “Eye on Oshkosh”, in the build-up to the election, and was asked about whether he would attempt to use his office to defend any laws that might outlaw same-sex marriage (which Wisconsin’s ban on same sex marriage had already been struck down by the Supreme Court). The host of the show was apparently angling to find some sort of hypocrisy in his logic, asking about marriage laws from a different era, when Schimel really stepped deep in it:

HOST: “But if you had been attorney general in, say, the 1950s, in a state that did not allow interracial marriage, do you think the proper role of an attorney general then was to not put himself or herself into the mix and say this is wrong?”
SCHIMEL: “Yeah, it is.”
HOST: “Your job is to uphold the law, even if it’s something that we might look back in the future and say that’s absurd?”
SCHIMEL: “It might be distasteful to me. I’ve got to stay consistent with that. As the state’s lawyer, it’s not my job to pick and choose.”

And just like that, Susan Happ, Schimel’s opponent, had a glimmer of hope because he was dumb enough to accept to admit he would, on principle, defend laws racist enough that no one has attempted anything like them in almost 60 years (and especially not in Wisconsin). People were asking, is Brad Schimel racist?

And then, word came out that there were training videos recorded for the state Department of Justice in 2009 and 2013, where for whatever reason while lecturing, Schimel made several sexist and racist comments, according to those who witnessed the video, including putting on false accents to depict various races. Democrats were fighting hard to have them released prior to the election, but a judge ruled that they remain sealed, because there was discussion of the tactics of sexual predators that if the video was released, could help them escape prosecution.

With Schimel’s… eccentricities only coming into play very late in the campaign, Susan Mapp could not make up the difference, and Schimel won office with 52% of the vote, to serve as one of Gov. Walker’s most loyal toadies. With Walker in the presidential race, Schimel might be a player in Wisconsin during the election, especially regarding enforcement of Voter ID laws, or at some point, you might see him try to perform a purge of the voter rolls that coincidentally seem to consist largely of minority voters.

[Spike-X]

You! Yes you! Get out of here with your logic.

I know, I know. Next thing you know, I'll be saying something even crazier, like telling people "Just don't have sex!" isn't the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Republicans just plain LOVE saying incredibly stupid ****, and this is right up at the very top of the list:

Some Republicans Compare Taking Down Confederate Symbols To ISIS Destroying Cultural Monuments

Seriously, boys? SERIOUSLY?

[PretenderNX01]

Republicans just plain LOVE saying incredibly stupid ****, and this is right up at the very top of the list:

Some Republicans Compare Taking Down Confederate Symbols To ISIS Destroying Cultural Monuments

Seriously, boys? SERIOUSLY?

They will do anything to appease The South. There are some right-wingers who are now going after the rainbow flag

On his radio program today, Bryan Fischer once again contributed some of his typically well-reasoned and insightful thoughts on the controversy over the Confederate flag by demanding that if this flag is going to be removed, so too should the rainbow flag, which is the symbol of "the Gay Reich."

"If we are going to remove symbols of oppression from our culture," Fischer said, "if we come to the point where we say any flag that represents bigotry, any flag that represents hatred, any flag that represents slavery or oppression needs to be removed, then I want to suggest to you that the next flag to go ought to be the rainbow flag of the Gay Reich."

"The rainbow flag represents the gay lobby, it represents Big Gay, it represents what I'm calling for the first time today, I'm introducing a new term: the Gay Reich," he continued. "They've got a flag just like the Nazis had their flag."

"That flag is a symbol of slavery and oppression and bigotry and prejudice and bias," Fischer said. "So if we're going to go after symbols of oppression, we ought to make the rainbow flag the next target for removal in our culture."

- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/conten....HOu4tjtu.dpuf

I'm not sure how a rainbow is a symbol for slavery.
But again, statues of Buddha and representations of equality are not the same as flying the flag of a group of people who declared war on the USA or naming a park after the first head of the KKK. Oh wait, the KKK is a nice Christian organization gee I guess I see their point.

[Tendrin]

Republicans just plain LOVE saying incredibly stupid ****, and this is right up at the very top of the list:

Some Republicans Compare Taking Down Confederate Symbols To ISIS Destroying Cultural Monuments

Seriously, boys? SERIOUSLY?

Let those true colors fly, boys!

[worstblogever]

Republicans just plain LOVE saying incredibly stupid ****, and this is right up at the very top of the list:

Some Republicans Compare Taking Down Confederate Symbols To ISIS Destroying Cultural Monuments

Seriously, boys? SERIOUSLY?

Hell, why not tie a GOP Presidential candidate into the mix? The Ted Cruz Presidential Campaign is standing behind their co-chair, South Carolina State Senator Lee Bright, after his comments on the removal of the Confederate flag. For those that missed it, Bright is categorizing the removal of the Stars & Bars as a "Stalinist purge".

Suffice to say, Bright does not live up to his name.

[Spike-X]

At least they're not overreacting.

[Goggindowner]

On his radio program today, Bryan Fischer once again contributed some of his typically well-reasoned and insightful thoughts on the controversy over the Confederate flag by demanding that if this flag is going to be removed, so too should the rainbow flag, which is the symbol of "the Gay Reich."

"If we are going to remove symbols of oppression from our culture," Fischer said, "if we come to the point where we say any flag that represents bigotry, any flag that represents hatred, any flag that represents slavery or oppression needs to be removed, then I want to suggest to you that the next flag to go ought to be the rainbow flag of the Gay Reich."

"The rainbow flag represents the gay lobby, it represents Big Gay, it represents what I'm calling for the first time today, I'm introducing a new term: the Gay Reich," he continued. "They've got a flag just like the Nazis had their flag."

"That flag is a symbol of slavery and oppression and bigotry and prejudice and bias," Fischer said. "So if we're going to go after symbols of oppression, we ought to make the rainbow flag the next target for removal in our culture."

- See more at: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/conten....HOu4tjtu.dpuf

......holy shite.

[Raptor13]

I know, I know. Next thing you know, I'll be saying something even crazier, like telling people "Just don't have sex!" isn't the best way to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Just telling that to people? Maybe not. But actually practicing that? It's done some amazing results so far with all the people I know. And in addition to that, when they do have sex, they *gasp* pay for their own contraceptives! Crazy, I know.

[Goggindowner]

Republicans just plain LOVE saying incredibly stupid ****, and this is right up at the very top of the list:

Some Republicans Compare Taking Down Confederate Symbols To ISIS Destroying Cultural Monuments

Seriously, boys? SERIOUSLY?

Because obviously.......

[Darrell D.]

It's always funny that people freak out when, say, the Black Panthers exercise their right in an open carry state, but won't say boo to cowboy hat guy.
Remember John Crawford, the guy that was killed in a Wal-Mart for open carrying a (toy) rifle because it made a white dude nervous?

[Tendrin]

Just telling that to people? Maybe not. But actually practicing that? It's done some amazing results so far with all the people I know. And in addition to that, when they do have sex, they *gasp* pay for their own contraceptives! Crazy, I know.

Abstinence /does not work/. Providing easy access to accessible contraceptive at low prices, even free, is the /best option/. It works in every community in the world it's done in.

Your experience does not speak for the rest of the world.

[Tendrin]

NBC news is reporting that the Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Government in King V Burwell, upholding the Obamacare subsidies.

They're describing it as having 'bailed out' Obamacare. Which is absurd. King V. Burwell was an utterly insane legal challenge in the first place.

[PretenderNX01]

Yeah that whole second challenge to Obamacare was like over a comma or period or something. Just another trick by cons to try to screw over the working class.

Providing easy access to accessible contraceptive at low prices, even free, is the /best option/. It works in every community in the world it's done in.

Yep, providing contraceptives actually reduces the number of abortions. Sex is free to do, so a lot of people do it. Making it safe for cheap/free is the best option of cutting down on abortions since outlawing them didn't stop them. But the GOP can't get that through their "limited government" head.

[Tendrin]

Yeah that whole second challenge to Obamacare was like over a comma or period or something. Just another trick by cons to try to screw over the working class.


Yep, providing contraceptives actually reduces the number of abortions. Sex is free to do, so a lot of people do it. Making it safe for cheap/free is the best option of cutting down on abortions since outlawing them didn't stop them. But the GOP can't get that through their "limited government" head.

They understand precisely what they're doing. Sex must be punished. It must have 'consequences'.