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

[Tendrin]

Conservative rat!@#$ers taking advantage of liberal piety and self-righteousness? Naw. No way that would ever happen.

[mojotastic]

I don't think they should be facing charges, but that is a rather offensive sticker to have plastered on their truck. There is no need for that type of language in public places where women and children might see it IMO.

At least is not an anime sticker, we dont want to spread weebness to the public.

[Iron Maiden]

I would like to see it left at this, but the media plus Democrats who are overeager to prove how saintly they are by condemning Frankin publicly before the facts are determined, that's the problem.

Again, it is the same tactic used with the Clinton emails. Trump in 2016 is Moore in 2017; so to distract from it they do this kind of thing. And the Democrats are so high and mighty in their saintly values they end up playing right into it or making it worse.

I have to say I've been very disheartened about the news that's been coming out lately. I was really ticked off and disappointed with Bill Clinton when he had the same thing happen to him. Men in position of power seem to lose their moral compass at times. Maybe too many times. Kevin Spacey, an actor who is always fun to watch has a career that is in ruins. Maybe he'll never come back from it.

What Franken did was juvenile and there seems to be some contradiction in what he remembers what happened between them and how the event played out. I am still suspicious of the timing of these reveals in light of Roger Stone's apparent knowledge of what was going down before the news hit. But if Franken has to go under some kind of committee hearing then so should Donald Trump. He has a dozen or so accusers out there too, like the reporter from People magazine. He's got some nerve trying to play high and mighty with his tweets today about Franken.

[Tami]

I have to say I've been very disheartened about the news that's been coming out lately. I was really ticked off and disappointed with at Bill Clinton when he had the same thing happen to him. Men in position of power seem to lose their moral compass at times. Maybe too many times. Kevin Spacey, an actor who is always fun to watch has a career that is in ruins. Maybe he'll never come back from it.

What Franken did was juvenile and there seems to be some contradiction in what he remembers what happened between them and how the event played out. I am still suspicious of the timing of these reveals in light of Roger Stone's apparent knowledge of what was going down before the news hit. But if Franken has to go under some kind of committee hearing than so should Donald Trump. He has a dozen or so accusers out there too, like the reporter from People magazine. He's got some nerve trying to play high and mighty with his tweets today about Franken.

I'm good with a Senate investigation into the Frankin situation. If that happens, the woman will have to testify in front of Congress, under Oath. There is an inherent seriousness in leveling charges against a sitting Senator.

The Congress also has the power to investigate the charges against Trump, if they are willing to do so. So far they aren't.

In both cases, I'd like to see the end results.

One note about Bill Clinton, he never would have been brought up on charges if he hadn't lied to Congress. It had nothing to do with his relationship with Lewensky or anyone else, at least no accusations on the level of what has been leveled at Trump and Moore occurred at the time.

I agree what Bill did was bad, really bad, but Trump is in a class way above that.

[Tuck]

As for "Destroyed"...

I don't know about that. That said, things are changing. Things you used to be able to get away with might cost you a career going forward. If this guy's political career winds up a casualty of that, that seems totally acceptable to me.

I'd be particularly careful about this attitude towards comedy.

Lenny Bruce went to jail because people didn't like what he talked about in his act. I don't like the idea of heading in that direction again, even by a few inches.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I have to say I've been very disheartened about the news that's been coming out lately. I was really ticked off and disappointed with at Bill Clinton when he had the same thing happen to him. Men in position of power seem to lose their moral compass at times. Maybe too many times. Kevin Spacey, an actor who is always fun to watch has a career that is in ruins. Maybe he'll never come back from it.

What Franken did was juvenile and there seems to be some contradiction in what he remembers what happened between them and how the event played out. I am still suspicious of the timing of these reveals in light of Roger Stone's apparent knowledge of what was going down before the news hit. But if Franken has to go under some kind of committee hearing than so should Donald Trump. He has a dozen or so accusers out there too, like the reporter from People magazine. He's got some nerve trying to play high and mighty with his tweets today about Franken.

Trump was emboldened enough to run off at the mouth because he knows the Republican controlled Congress won't even mention the accusations leveled against him, never mind have him face any sort of committee. Sure, the GOP could, and probably will throw Roy Moore under the nearest Greyhound so they can say they dealt with the pervert in their ranks, but when it comes to Herr Gropenfuhrer, the really big creeper, they won't do or say a damn thing.

[Tami]

Morality and Politics. Does it seem that, even more so in the past few years, that Republicans are 'I can stand on 5th Avenue and shoot someone and not lose any support' while Democrats are 'We must take the high road, we must be the ones who show love and compassion and treat al people fairly and equally' ?

I could be wrong, but I'm seeing an evolution in American Politics that is less about Policy or the role of government and more on one side trying to get away with whatever it wants while the other side being the 'white knight' trying to protect everyone.

note that neither side is all good or all bad, no one is perfect. I think it might be more of an attitude and a view of themselves and their roles.

[Iron Maiden]

I'm good with a Senate investigation into the Frankin situation. If that happens, the woman will have to testify in front of Congress, under Oath. There is an inherent seriousness in leveling charges against a sitting Senator.

The Congress also has the power to investigate the charges against Trump, if they are willing to do so. So far they aren't.

In both cases, I'd like to see the end results.

One note about Bill Clinton, he never would have been brought up on charges if he hadn't lied to Congress. It had nothing to do with his relationship with Lewensky or anyone else, at least no accusations on the level of what has been leveled at Trump and Moore occurred at the time.

I agree what Bill did was bad, really bad, but Trump is in a class way above that.

Funny thing is that we've never really heard much from Monica specifically about how she feels about the Clintons today. She probably could have been exploited for a tell all book but she hasn't fallen for that. To this day, she says it the relationship was consensual and many people characterize it as an abusive relationship. But I suspect to this day she still may be in love with him. I have to say of all of them in that situation, she impresses me as a person. She had to literally hide from the public for years. Check out her Vanity Fair piece called the Culture of Humiliation from about 2 years ago.

Trump was emboldened enough to run off at the mouth because he knows the Republican controlled Congress won't even mention the accusations leveled against him, never mind have him face any sort of committee. Sure, the GOP could, and probably will throw Roy Moore under the nearest Greyhound so they can say they dealt with the pervert in their ranks, but when it comes to Herr Gropenfuhrer, the really big creeper, they won't do or say a damn thing.

That's what stinks about this. Oh, we know both parties are going to circle the wagons but lately the GOP is more craven and cowardly about it. They really don't hold the high ground in this.

[worstblogever]

Morality and Politics. Does it seem that, even more so in the past few years, that Republicans are 'I can stand on 5th Avenue and shoot someone and not lose any support' while Democrats are 'We must take the high road, we must be the ones who show love and compassion and treat al people fairly and equally' ?

I could be wrong, but I'm seeing an evolution in American Politics that is less about Policy or the role of government and more on one side trying to get away with whatever it wants while the other side being the 'white knight' trying to protect everyone.

note that neither side is all good or all bad, no one is perfect. I think it might be more of an attitude and a view of themselves and their roles.

^This.

On the left: Franken response amounts to volunteering for ethics hearings where he'll be raked over the coals for a s***ty thing he did 11 years ago. But from it, his colleagues might lose him in the Senate, but will open a conversation about sexual assault being unacceptable as a culture norm, even if it's just one incident and Franken intended no harm. The most important thing is a conversation is had, and the country can move forward.
On the right: Trump sexually assaults multiple women. Brags about committing the exact kinds of assaults on tape. Threatens to sue them for "lying". GOP still do nothing regarding these claims. Meanwhile, Roy Moore spends several years trying to prey on teen girls, sexually assaulting several. Republicans avoid the subject, fleeing from cameras for days because it's a member of their own party. Alabama Republicans fall on their face providing a defense for a pedophile and serial sex offender, with some threatening to arrest his accusers for not coming forward sooner, many openly admitting they would rather vote for a pedophile than a Democrat, and others literally comparing Moore to Jesus' stepfather, Joseph. Not to mention, the GOP have done nothing about Congressmen whose offices have had rampant sexual harassment in their ranks for several years, including Blake Farenthold and Mark Meadows. When it's one of theirs, they circle the wagons, and attack the victims, no matter how many are assaulted, how they're assaulted, or how young the victims are.

What I think this indicates is at least Democrats still have a moral center in there somewhere. When one of their own f***s up, they still make them answer for it. No matter the severity of the offense.

[Kal-El Summers]

What the hell...

It's Alabama. I can't even say it's the most offensive thing I've seen this month. /shrugs

[Vic Vega]

Trump was emboldened enough to run off at the mouth because he knows the Republican controlled Congress won't even mention the accusations leveled against him, never mind have him face any sort of committee. Sure, the GOP could, and probably will throw Roy Moore under the nearest Greyhound so they can say they dealt with the pervert in their ranks, but when it comes to Herr Gropenfuhrer, the really big creeper, they won't do or say a damn thing.

And they won't even do that much to Moore, they want that Senate seat too badly to even censure the Short Eyes that somehow got thru the cracks.

[Tami]

I think Democrats are playing the long game, trying to shape American Culture and society even if it costs them politically.

Republicans are plying the short game, trying to grab up every advantage they can regardless of what harm it my cause.

They say that good guys finish last.

[Iron Maiden]

^This.

On the left: Franken response amounts to volunteering for ethics hearings where he'll be raked over the coals for a s***ty thing he did 11 years ago. But from it, his colleagues might lose him in the Senate, but will open a conversation about sexual assault being unacceptable as a culture norm, even if it's just one incident and Franken intended no harm. The most important thing is a conversation is had, and the country can move forward.
On the right: Trump sexually assaults multiple women. Brags about committing the exact kinds of assaults on tape. Threatens to sue them for "lying". GOP still do nothing regarding these claims. Meanwhile, Roy Moore spends several years trying to prey on teen girls, sexually assaulting several. Republicans avoid the subject, fleeing from cameras for days because it's a member of their own party. Alabama Republicans fall on their face providing a defense for a pedophile and serial sex offender, with some threatening to arrest his accusers for not coming forward sooner, many openly admitting they would rather vote for a pedophile than a Democrat, and others literally comparing Moore to Jesus' stepfather, Joseph. Not to mention, the GOP have done nothing about Congressmen whose offices have had rampant sexual harassment in their ranks for several years, including Blake Farenthold and Mark Meadows. When it's one of theirs, they circle the wagons, and attack the victims, no matter how many are assaulted, how they're assaulted, or how young the victims are.

What I think this indicates is at least Democrats still have a moral center in there somewhere. When one of their own f***s up, they still make them answer for it. No matter the severity of the offense.

QFT. And add to Trump's list the abuse of his first wife Ivanka. Sometimes we women can be our own worst enemies. She still seems to cling to him even though a court deposition from her (which has since been sealed) said he assaulted her after he had his first hair plugs put in. She recommended the doctor and the procedure was very painful. He begin ripping out some of her hair and then she says he raped her. But quotes from the deposition were in the book "The Last Tycoon" because the author was able to get a copy of the depositon before the case was sealed.

Ever since that divorce and around the time Art of the Deal was published, Trump and his toadies on his legal staff (of which there must be legions by now) have been diligently getting nondisclosure agreements signed. I hope they do something about those non-disclosures since that's what Weinstein did too.

[Malvolio]

Have you watched other Celebrity Roasts? William Shatner's is one of my faves, and if you haven't watched any there is something 'potentially more complicated' involved.

The thing about Roasts is that 'the joke' is to be as blatantly offensive and mean as you can be, and Franken's jokes here pale in comparison to practically any of Gilbert Gottfried's additions to Roast history. So you are claiming that being offensive AT A ROAST disqualifies Franken from public office yet that Sanders only faces 'the folks he has to answer to'. Well we were both some of those folks for Sanders but neither of us are 'folks he has to answer to' for Franken by your standards here, so I don't support the double standard of calling for one to be drummed out and not the other. TBH Sanders writings wasn't what turned me off of him here so I don't think it merits either of them being **** on over it, but I'm not the one to hypocritically vilify one and brush off the other.

Note: Donald Trump was Roasted too, and he said really nasty things but got far worse than he dished out. Maybe you should see some of the jokes made about Franken during that Roast for context, since no one comes out clean from one of these things.

E:

Telling in that you didn't hear the joke about Eskimo rapists, which obviously do exist. Carlin doesn't need to be 'interpreted' or 'considered' - He was very clear with everything he wanted to say, mean, convey, and joke about.

Here's what we all need to remember about #30. He's very literal-minded and does not understand satire.

[Dalak]

Here's what we all need to remember about #30. He's very literal-minded and does not understand satire.

I highly doubt that's not deliberately done for his own reasons, but to each their own I guess.