Master Index of Archived Threads


Politics 2021

MFS62 Jan 02 2021 01:11 PM

Ted Cruz is supporting tRump's fight to overturn the Electoral College vote. I guess his wife isn't ugly any more. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/03/trump-fights-sexism-with-ugly-heidi-cruz-retweet.html Later

Lefty Specialist Jan 02 2021 02:57 PM Re: Politics 2021

Burnishing his credentials for the 'America's Greatest Fascist' 2024 competition. 10 or 11 senators will be signing on.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 02 2021 04:50 PM Re: Politics 2021

Why even bother with elections? Lets' just cut to the chase and have a rule that the Vice-President selects the next President. The rule goes into effect when the Veep is Republican, thus guaranteeing an infinite succession of Republican presidents for eternity. This is so vile. Is all that's standing between democacy and authoritarianism is that the Dems control the House? What a fucked up Constitution we have that we can't get out from under, unlike just about every other advanced nation. It's like quicksand and concrete shoes.

ashie62 Jan 02 2021 06:59 PM Re: Politics 2021

The lawsuit against Pence has been thrown out.

Edgy MD Jan 02 2021 09:00 PM Re: Politics 2021

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=53144 time=1609631415 user_id=68]Is all that's standing between democacy and authoritarianism is that the Dems control the House?

Well, there's me.

MFS62 Jan 03 2021 06:16 AM Re: Politics 2021

Pence has announced he supports the efforts to overturn the election. I wonder if this means he will count the votes of electors. And if he does, what recourse is there be to count the correct votes? Later

Lefty Specialist Jan 03 2021 01:03 PM Re: Politics 2021

This man is a stone-cold criminal. He talks to the Secretary of State of Georgia like he was a painting contractor he wanted to screw. The Washington Post ‘I just want to find 11,780 votes': In extraordinary hour-long call, Trump pressures Georgia secretary of state to recalculate the vote in his favor https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/i-just-want-to-find-11-780-votes-in-extraordinary-hour-long-call-trump-pressures-georgia-secretary-of-state-to-recalculate-the-vote-in-his-favor/ar-BB1cqNSk?ocid=msedgdhp

batmagadanleadoff Jan 03 2021 01:26 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: This man is a stone-cold criminal. He talks to the Secretary of State of Georgia like he was a painting contractor he wanted to screw. A lot worse than that. He talks to the sec'y of state like he's John Gotti extorting some business owner for protection money. It's all there. The browbeating. The veiled threats. The gangster speak with enough code-talking and ambiguity to give Trump the plausible deniability to deny the accusations that are sure to follow. And the GOP will defend this. Just disgusting.

Lefty Specialist Jan 03 2021 03:58 PM Re: Politics 2021

Two things that will be interesting to watch. 1) Georgia. He's beating up a Republican, trying to get him to commit crimes by fraudulently overturning an election that was recounted twice. How will this affect the vote on Tuesday? 2) The House and Senate Seditionists. Are they still going forward on 1/6? I bet they will, because Trumpsters don't do U-turns, they double down. But they look even more craven after this phone call. And did this Georgia call come during or after phone calls to other states? Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona all have Republican legislatures. If he got one state to 'flip' pressure could be brought on others. Otherwise this call makes no sense at all. Just flipping Georgia isn't enough. He'd need two more. Just another thing that we all thought was inconceivable just 4 years ago. That's how badly Trump has damaged this country.

G-Fafif Jan 03 2021 04:27 PM Re: Politics 2021

There's no way I lost Georgia. Kenny Rogers was heard muttering something similar as he left Turner Field.

Lefty Specialist Jan 03 2021 05:07 PM Re: Politics 2021

=G-Fafif post_id=53159 time=1609716446 user_id=55] There's no way I lost Georgia. Kenny Rogers was heard muttering something similar as he left Turner Field.

Imagine if Kenny Rogers thought he struck out the side on 9 pitches and then hit a game-winning homer in the 13th. And threatened the umpiring crew when they didn't agree with him.

G-Fafif Jan 03 2021 05:17 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: =G-Fafif post_id=53159 time=1609716446 user_id=55] There's no way I lost Georgia. Kenny Rogers was heard muttering something similar as he left Turner Field. Imagine if Kenny Rogers thought he struck out the side on 9 pitches and then hit a game-winning homer in the 13th. And threatened the umpiring crew when they didn't agree with him.

Even Bobby V resisted asking the umps to, um, recalculate.

ashie62 Jan 03 2021 05:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Two things that will be interesting to watch. 1) Georgia. He's beating up a Republican, trying to get him to commit crimes by fraudulently overturning an election that was recounted twice. How will this affect the vote on Tuesday? 2) The House and Senate Seditionists. Are they still going forward on 1/6? I bet they will, because Trumpsters don't do U-turns, they double down. But they look even more craven after this phone call. And did this Georgia call come during or after phone calls to other states? Michigan, Pennsylvania, Arizona all have Republican legislatures. If he got one state to 'flip' pressure could be brought on others. Otherwise this call makes no sense at all. Just flipping Georgia isn't enough. He'd need two more. Just another thing that we all thought was inconceivable just 4 years ago. That's how badly Trump has damaged this country. I approach this as I do a Halloween movie, it ain't over til 1/20 and the fat bastard is gone.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 03 2021 06:44 PM Re: Politics 2021

Trump to bestow Presidential Medal of Freedom on Devin Nunes. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/03/trump-give-ally-nunes-presidential-medal-freedom/?itid=hp-top-table-main Also, WAPO to disclose secretly taped phone call of the president* threatening the Nobel Prize commission unless it awards one of its medals to daughter Ivanka. "That's some nice band, Abba, youse got over there. Wouldn't want a coupl'a pianos to fall on their heads if Ivanka doesn't get the medal. I don't think any pianos would fall on Abba's heads from 50 feet above but that's what a lot of people are saying could probably happen. I heard. A lot of people. They're saying, I'm just saying what they're saying. Did youse know that I had a dream about Abba sleeping with the herrings? That's Swedish for fishes, right?."

Lefty Specialist Jan 04 2021 01:56 PM Re: Politics 2021

Jeez, who's next, Rush Limbaugh? Oh, wait.........

Edgy MD Jan 04 2021 02:02 PM Re: Politics 2021

https://twitter.com/DanRather/status/1345834047503646722

Benjamin Grimm Jan 04 2021 02:06 PM Re: Politics 2021

Word is that this call may open him up to criminal prosecution in Fulton County. Naturally, I hope it does. I hope he gets totally swamped in criminal and civil charges 17 days from now.

Lefty Specialist Jan 04 2021 02:13 PM Re: Politics 2021

Imagine if Joe Biden did this if he'd lost Georgia. He'd already be under arrest. I'm beginning to think Trump's going to leave the country before January 20th; the walls are closing in. I want to see what he says in Georgia tonight, in the QAnon homeworld.

whippoorwill Jan 04 2021 02:44 PM Re: Politics 2021

And yet the neighborhood Trump signs and flags remain

Lefty Specialist Jan 05 2021 06:58 AM Re: Politics 2021

So do they..... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eq8i7H-VoAArdJN?format=jpg&name=small>

Fman99 Jan 05 2021 08:26 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Imagine if Joe Biden did this if he'd lost Georgia. He'd already be under arrest. I'm beginning to think Trump's going to leave the country before January 20th; the walls are closing in. I want to see what he says in Georgia tonight, in the QAnon homeworld. Other people are thinking this same thing.

MFS62 Jan 05 2021 04:44 PM Re: Politics 2021

Even slimy Jay Sekulow, donnie's personal defense attorney, is saying that it would not be constitutional for Pence to change the legitimate Electoral Votes. "Some have speculated that the vice president could simply say, 'I'm not going to accept these electors,' that he has the authority to do that under the Constitution. I actually don't think that's what the Constitution has in mind," Sekulow said on his Periscope show on Tuesday. https://www.yahoo.com/news/trumps-personal-defense-lawyer-says-192552635.html Later

MFS62 Jan 06 2021 08:40 AM Re: Politics 2021

Moved to Electoral College vote thread. Later

Benjamin Grimm Jan 06 2021 10:41 AM Re: Politics 2021

MSNBC reporting that Merrick Garland (remember him?) will be Biden's pick for Attorney General.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 06 2021 10:47 AM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: MSNBC reporting that Merrick Garland (remember him?) will be Biden's pick for Attorney General. At least, Biden will be able to fill Garland's vacated seat on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals with his preference.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 06 2021 11:41 AM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: MSNBC reporting that Merrick Garland (remember him?) will be Biden's pick for Attorney General. At least, Biden will be able to fill Garland's vacated seat on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals with his preference. And Biden should take a page out of the GOP playbook and replace Garland with someone in his or her early 40's.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 06 2021 11:46 AM Re: Politics 2021

Definitely.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 06 2021 11:54 AM Re: Politics 2021

I guess it's very clear now why Biden held back on announcing his AG nominee until today: Biden wouldn't have picked Garland unless the Dems swept Georgia and took control of the senate because otherwise, the GOP controlled senate would blockade every judicial opening just like they did when the Obama administration lost control of the Senate after the 2014 mid-terms. With the GOP running the senate, Biden wouldn't be able to fill Garland's vacant seat.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 06 2021 12:06 PM Re: Politics 2021

This administration* should be hung around the neck of the Republican Party like a dead, rotting raccoon for the next 30 years. This is going to require very thin Democratic legislative majorities to behave as though they are juggernauts, and a Democratic president whose entire Senate career was built on cutting deals with crazy people to resist the narcotic dreams of bipartisanship. [Democrats] must learn how to ride roughshod again, to do what has to be done—not to heal the nation, but to drain the infections and cauterize the wounds while, at the same time, confronting the huge issues that will remain after the flea circus leaves the White House. Couldn't agree more. Fuck bipartisanship. Not with this GOP. This GOP needs to be destroyed, not appeased. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a35140402/democrats-win-georgia-senate-runoffs-raphael-warnock-jon-ossoff/

Edgy MD Jan 07 2021 12:59 PM Re: Politics 2021

Questions I should be able to find out elsewhere: 1) When the 25th Amendment/Article Four refers to "the principal officers of the executive department," I feel comfortable that includes only members of the cabinet who run a federal department, and not persons traditionally described as members of the cabinet, such as chief of staff, who have no such department. But does this apply to interim secretaries also? Do they get to invoke the 25th? 2) When the 25th Amendment/Article Four goes on to describe an alternative of "or of such other body as Congress may by law provide," what does that look like? 3) Secretary Chao, why must you kill me like this?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2021 01:13 PM Re: Politics 2021

Chau's resignation isn't effective until Monday, so if something happens before then she can participate.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2021 01:18 PM Re: Politics 2021

The thriving New York Times wrote: Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, called on Thursday for President Trump to be removed from office over his role in spurring on a violent mob that stormed the Capitol and broke into the House floor a day earlier. Ms. Pelosi called on Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, which allows him and the Cabinet to take the power of the presidency from Mr. Trump. Her remarks echoed a similar statement made earlier by Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader. If Mr. Pence did not move to do so, Ms. Pelosi said that she and other members of Congress “may be prepared” to move forward with impeaching the president for a second time.

TransMonk Jan 07 2021 01:21 PM Re: Politics 2021

Double impeachment? Yes, please!

Edgy MD Jan 07 2021 01:33 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Chau's resignation isn't effective until Monday, so if something happens before then she can participate. Boom! You're still in play, SecTrans!

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2021 01:52 PM Re: Politics 2021

CNN wrote: Schumer said during a press conference that he and Pelosi tried to call Pence to invoke the amendment to oust Trump from office, but they were put on hold for 25 minutes and then were told he would not come to the phone. Schumer said if the vice president and Cabinet do not remove the President, Congress should reconvene to impeach Trump "ASAP." CNN has reached out to Pence's office for comment.

metsmarathon Jan 07 2021 02:12 PM Re: Politics 2021

if trump isn't removed from office, i would consider it a dereliction of duty. this needs to be condemned and refuted in the strongest possible terms. and allowing this to go unchecked, even though it is only 13 days left, is to endorse it.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2021 02:16 PM Re: Politics 2021

I doubt that the 25th will happen, especially if Pence is refusing to come to the phone to talk to the Speaker of the House and the incoming Senate Majority Leader. But it seems certain that the House will impeach. What happens after that? I don't think a trial would be able to happen before January 20. Would it remain unresolved, or would they go for a conviction even after Trump leaves office?

ashie62 Jan 07 2021 03:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

25th amendment is current members of cabinet and VP only. After a certain amount of time congress gets a say as to whether the president should return to office and when. The 25th amendment was designed for physical failings, Woodrow Wilson, not really for mental issues. l

MFS62 Jan 07 2021 03:53 PM Re: Politics 2021

=ashie62 post_id=53515 time=1610057444 user_id=90] The 25th amendment was designed for physical failings, Woodrow Wilson, not really for mental issues.

It is to be used when the President is incapable of performing his duties. Mental issues certainly fall within that description.



Later

Benjamin Grimm Jan 07 2021 03:56 PM Re: Politics 2021

I think what inspired it was the possibility that President Kennedy might have survived but been left brain dead.

Chad ochoseis Jan 07 2021 05:40 PM Re: Politics 2021

Trump admits defeat in a Twitter video without actually conceding. [url]https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1347334804052844550?s=20

whippoorwill Jan 07 2021 05:52 PM Re: Politics 2021

I thought account was frozen

Chad ochoseis Jan 07 2021 06:04 PM Re: Politics 2021

Only for 12 hours.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 08 2021 04:58 AM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I doubt that the 25th will happen, especially if Pence is refusing to come to the phone to talk to the Speaker of the House and the incoming Senate Majority Leader. But it seems certain that the House will impeach. What happens after that? I don't think a trial would be able to happen before January 20. Would it remain unresolved, or would they go for a conviction even after Trump leaves office? An impeachment trial might not happen before 1/20 but if RBG were to have died yesterday, I'd betcha that Mitch'd fill the seat before 1/20.

MFS62 Jan 08 2021 06:29 AM Re: Politics 2021

The options discussed (Article 25 and Impeachment) take too long. According to their ads, we could just call 1-800-GET-JUNK and when they come, just point at him and have him removed. Later

Edgy MD Jan 08 2021 08:25 AM Re: Politics 2021

We can declare war in 24 hours. Congress has 10,000 lawyers at their disposal to sort through the process. If the will is there, they can do this in no time.

Lefty Specialist Jan 08 2021 09:31 AM Re: Politics 2021

=MFS62 post_id=53519 time=1610059999 user_id=60] =ashie62 post_id=53515 time=1610057444 user_id=90] The 25th amendment was designed for physical failings, Woodrow Wilson, not really for mental issues.

It is to be used when the President is incapable of performing his duties. Mental issues certainly fall within that description.



Later

President Bartlet used it when his daughter was kidnapped.



Hey, that alternate universe is better than this one.

Lefty Specialist Jan 08 2021 09:32 AM Re: Politics 2021

=MFS62 post_id=53540 time=1610112548 user_id=60] The options discussed (Article 25 and Impeachment) take too long. According to their ads, we could just call 1-800-GET-JUNK and when they come, just point at him and have him removed. Later

Lol. I am shamelessly stealing this.

MFS62 Jan 08 2021 09:36 AM Re: Politics 2021

This isn't "like" sedition, it is black letter law sedition: US Code 2384 - seditious conspiracy: If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. Later

MFS62 Jan 08 2021 12:36 PM Re: Politics 2021

They just took the nuclear launch codes away from tRump. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi for working on this so quickly. Later

batmagadanleadoff Jan 08 2021 01:04 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 08 2021 01:30 PM

=MFS62 post_id=53600 time=1610134579 user_id=60] They just took the nuclear launch codes away from tRump. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi for working on this so quickly.

Really? Good! I actually worried about this four years ago, knowing that this pathologically damaged psychopath is capable of anything. Anything! I specifically worried that he might do unspeakable nuclear damage if he thought that the world was coming down on his head with no way out.

MFS62 Jan 08 2021 01:23 PM Re: Politics 2021

I heard that on WCBS radio and posted it. Now there's a link: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/nancy-pelosi-says-she-talked-173157364.html She did not elaborate, but CNN reported that Pelosi told the House Democratic Caucus that she was assured that safeguards were in place. Meanwhile, Curt Schilling again proved that he is a dick. He said today that he approves of the assault on the Capitol. Later

kcmets Jan 08 2021 01:26 PM Re: Politics 2021

=MFS62 post_id=53600 time=1610134579 user_id=60] They just took the nuclear launch codes away from tRump. Thank you, Nancy Pelosi for working on this so quickly.

That's not what happened, she inquired if there were measures in place to make

sure nothing nutty could happen. I'm paraphrasing and lazily dumbing it down and if

he wants to give an order, such as obliterate Iran's nuclear sites, they have to follow orders

and will. Nothing here to build a Pelosi statue over.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 08 2021 01:33 PM Re: Politics 2021

=kcmets post_id=53612 time=1610137576 user_id=53] Nothing here to build a Pelosi statue over.

Wow. A gratuitous Pelosi smear. That's such a Republican thing to say. To throw on top of all of the other so Republican things you say here alla the time. Especially when he wasn't even praising Pelosi for her role in this matter.

kcmets Jan 08 2021 01:38 PM Re: Politics 2021

Praising Pelosi was exactly what he did. Read. I'm not going to debate nonsense with you. I'm mentally shot by this week's events. I'm not a Republican and voted for Biden.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 08 2021 01:42 PM Re: Politics 2021

=kcmets post_id=53615 time=1610138289 user_id=53] Praising Pelosi was exactly what he did. Read. I'm not going to debate nonsense with you. I'm mentally shot by this week's events. I'm not a Republican and voted for Biden.

Okay. Then so we won't build a statue for Pelosi.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 08 2021 01:58 PM Re: Politics 2021

Impeachment looking very likely, perhaps as early as Monday. I have no idea what to expect the ultimate result to be, but it's a step that has to be taken now that every indication is that Pence doesn't want to invoke the 25th. (I think he should. From his perspective, it will allow him to reclaim a tiny measure of self-respect. He's been a lapdog for more than four years, and as a reward he was thrown under the bus. He can be President of the United States for a week or so! He would break William Henry Harrison's record! He would make Biden #47 instead of #46, which means he'd get Jesse Orosco's number! So many reasons to do this!)

batmagadanleadoff Jan 08 2021 02:04 PM Re: Politics 2021

Maybe Trump already promised to make Pence an 11th hour president, so that Trump can receive a pardon that isn't a self-pardon.

Lefty Specialist Jan 09 2021 05:02 AM Re: Politics 2021

Headlines that make you, well, um, a little nervous.... Pelosi says she spoke to top general about ensuring Trump doesn't launch nuclear attack https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/08/pelosi-trump-take-away-nuclear-codes-456529 We're in 'precious bodily fluids' territory.

MFS62 Jan 09 2021 06:31 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Headlines that make you, well, um, a little nervous.... Pelosi says she spoke to top general about ensuring Trump doesn't launch nuclear attack https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/08/pelosi-trump-take-away-nuclear-codes-456529 We're in 'precious bodily fluids' territory. I haven't been as nervous about them taking the button away since I read, and posted the same thing (different source) in this thread yesterday. But I DID love the Dr. Strangelove reference. Later

Lefty Specialist Jan 09 2021 07:08 AM Re: Politics 2021

Sedition! https://twitter.com/i/status/1347559049668268035

Chad ochoseis Jan 09 2021 08:11 AM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: He can be President of the United States for a week or so! He would break William Henry Harrison's record! He would make Biden #47 instead of #46, which means he'd get Jesse Orosco's number! So many reasons to do this!) I think under the 25th he just becomes "Acting President", so you can keep all the 46 merch you bought for Biden.

Edgy MD Jan 09 2021 02:19 PM Re: Politics 2021

https://twitter.com/tykelly11/status/1347702073706496001

MFS62 Jan 10 2021 07:55 AM Re: Politics 2021

That sedition video was well done. Thanks. I'm wondering - since The President is the Commander -in-Chief of the Armed forces, can he be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice? If so, has he broken any laws specific to the UCMJ? I'm thinking inciting a treasonous attack on our Capital might fit within one of those laws. Later

kcmets Jan 10 2021 11:11 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: https://twitter.com/i/status/1347559049668268035 Song is still in my head, lotta fun...

ashie62 Jan 10 2021 11:33 AM Re: Politics 2021

That is funny! I like Michael Rappaport's one minute "Pack you shit and go, asshole!' twitter videos.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 10 2021 12:09 PM Re: Politics 2021

That is funny! I like Michael Rappaport's one minute "Pack you shit and go, asshole!' twitter videos. This guy's got other stuff out there. I looked him up. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPDPzbLFeP4

nymr83 Jan 10 2021 08:32 PM Re: Politics 2021

impeachment is pretty dumb at this point and will only serve as a distraction to Biden's inauguration and a new administration. they should censure Trump, since that wouldn't require 2/3 of the Senate they'd like get it done, then they'd have their moral victory on record and not distract. Though, as someone who doesn't support most of the democrats' agenda, I say bring on the distractions!

Edgy MD Jan 10 2021 08:49 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'm all for impeachment at this point and I'm flamingly intelligent.

nymr83 Jan 10 2021 08:55 PM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I'm all for impeachment at this point and I'm flamingly intelligent. No putting words in my mouth please. the idea is dumb. i did not call any person who believes in it dumb. a generally intelligent person can believe in some dumb ideas.

LWFS Jan 10 2021 09:16 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 11 2021 08:34 AM

You don't think the looming shadow of inauguration violence will provide a distraction? Beyond the "distraction" smoke screen, Impeachment and removal could guarantee that he'd never be able to run for office again.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 10 2021 09:17 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 10 2021 09:28 PM

=nymr83 post_id=53720 time=1610335940 user_id=54] impeachment is pretty dumb at this point and will only serve as a distraction to Biden's inauguration and a new administration. they should censure Trump, since that wouldn't require 2/3 of the Senate they'd like get it done, then they'd have their moral victory on record and not distract. Though, as someone who doesn't support most of the democrats' agenda, I say bring on the distractions!

You can say that about any administration- that the impeachment process would be a distraction. So since you're always against impeaching him, what does he have to do to warrant an impeachment trial?



He directed his base to attack the capitol with violent intent, and that's not enough because he did it in the final days of his term? Are the final days now supposed to be a lawless free for all zone where a president can commit any criminal act without having to face the consequences?

batmagadanleadoff Jan 10 2021 09:23 PM Re: Politics 2021

Distractions? I'd investigate this whole administration. I'm certain that Trump probably committed more felonies than I can count on my fingers. And I'd challenge the pardons I assume are coming: that a president cant pardon himself; that a pardon from Pence is a sham pardon; that a blanket pardon is null and void because a pardon has to specifically name the crime or crimes that are being pardoned; and that a president cant pardon a crime that would've benefited himself because that would be like pardoning himself, which the president can't.

Edgy MD Jan 10 2021 09:44 PM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I'm all for impeachment at this point and I'm flamingly intelligent. No putting words in my mouth please. the idea is dumb. i did not call any person who believes in it dumb. a generally intelligent person can believe in some dumb ideas. Yeah, well, it's not a dumb idea. It's a wonderful and lovely idea that too many don't have the heart or spine for, and our gross lack of leadership can't compel them to grow some. But we're one leader-stepping-up away from that. Had they removed this president a day before the insurrection, our legislators could have been heroes and scarcely realized it. Impeachment isn't a distraction. It's a grave and sacred duty that every one of these folks signed up for when they swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. Nothing in that oath said, "As long as it's politically viable to do so and not distracting." In fact, the next part of the oath declares, "that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same," which more or less means that you won't forsake that duty when it clashes with some self-serving or practical concern. And nothing in this oath said, "As long as nymr doesn't think it's dumb."

Lefty Specialist Jan 11 2021 05:34 AM Re: Politics 2021

Impeachment will be this week, and it's not a dumb idea. Doing NOTHING would be a dumb idea. The House may hold the impeachment for the first 100 days, to allow Biden's other business to move through the Senate. A trial would be a calendar-clogging event, so this may not be a bad idea. Hold it over him. But this REALLY hurts him....... PGA votes to pull 2022 Championship from the Trump National Golf Club The Trump National Golf Club at Bedminster in New Jersey will no longer host the 2022 PGA Championship after the PGA of America Board of Directors voted to terminate the agreement. Trump's company responded to the news, saying they are "incredibly disappointed" by the decision, adding that it's "a breach of a binding contract." PGA did not confirm a new location for the event.

TransMonk Jan 11 2021 06:08 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Doing NOTHING would be a dumb idea. Agreed. Five years of normalizing and not holding bullshit behavior accountable got us here.

Edgy MD Jan 11 2021 08:07 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Trump's company responded to the news, saying they are "incredibly disappointed" by the decision, adding that it's "a breach of a binding contract." PGA did not confirm a new location for the event. Hilarious that "breach of a binding contact" is all they've got. Shows how indefensible this horrible presidency is.

MFS62 Jan 11 2021 08:32 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: Lefty Specialist wrote: Trump's company responded to the news, saying they are "incredibly disappointed" by the decision, adding that it's "a breach of a binding contract." PGA did not confirm a new location for the event. Hilarious that "breach of a binding contact" is all they've got. Shows how indefensible this horrible presidency is. It has been the MO of the Trump family of companies to react to actions against them to launch waves of legal actions (going back to when he fought contractors demanding payment for work done on his properties) to batter opponents until they back down. This did not come as a surprise. Later

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2021 08:40 AM Re: Politics 2021

Of course it's not a surprise. He sued Bill Maher over a joke about an orangutan. Trump sues everybody for anything. But in a couple of weeks he will (hopefully) have much bigger worries to deal with than this PGA thing.

Edgy MD Jan 11 2021 09:00 AM Re: Politics 2021

I did not suggest anything was a surprise.

Lefty Specialist Jan 11 2021 09:01 AM Re: Politics 2021

I'm betting the PGA says, "Bring it on, asshole."

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2021 09:12 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I did not suggest anything was a surprise. I was responding to MFS62.

Edgy MD Jan 11 2021 09:20 AM Re: Politics 2021

So wuz I.

ashie62 Jan 11 2021 09:21 AM Re: Politics 2021

We're back Mortimer.

Fman99 Jan 11 2021 09:55 AM Re: Politics 2021

I'm enjoying that there aren't 100 news stories for every stupid ass thing someone has posted to Twitter ten times a day. I want leaders who spend their days actually, you know, leading. Not watching TV and staring brainlessly at their phones. I've also enjoyed the pitiless whining of those Republicans and backers who exclaim that a lack of social media access can or should be equated with free speech. It shows their usual stellar handle on the basics of what constitutes rights and freedoms in this country. The news cycle has spun down nicely, pace-wise, too. For all of the updates regarding what the Dems will do next, there's a wonderful lack of counter-parry from the insurrectionist party.

ashie62 Jan 11 2021 11:21 AM Re: Politics 2021

Like he said ^^^^^^^

whippoorwill Jan 11 2021 12:32 PM Re: Politics 2021

As long as they didn't just go underground 😬

Lefty Specialist Jan 11 2021 05:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

You know why they're quiet? Their money spigot is getting turned off. Dow is immediately suspending all corporate and employee political action committee (PAC) contributions to any member of Congress who voted to object to the certification of the presidential election,” Dow said in a statement, adding that the company “is committed to the principles of democracy and the peaceful transfer of power.” Marriott said in a statement it “will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election.” “We have suspended all support for officials who have impeded the peaceful transfer of power,” Commerce Bank said in its statement. Hallmark, which contributes to politicians via a PAC called HALLPAC, went a step further, saying in a statement, “The recent actions of Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall do not reflect our company's values. As a result, HALLPAC requested Sens. Hawley and Marshall to return all HALLPAC campaign contributions.” AT&T's PAC decided Monday to suspend donations to the eight Republican senators and 139 Republican House members who voted against certifying President-elect Joe Biden's win, according to a company spokesman. American Express struck a similar note in a memo sent to all employees Monday, halting contributions to the lawmakers who voted “to subvert the presidential election results and disrupt the peaceful transition of power.”

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2021 05:45 PM Re: Politics 2021

Yay corporate America!

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2021 07:49 PM Re: Politics 2021

Bill Belichick was supposed to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump this week, but he's turning it down! Good for him. He deserves a Presidential Medal of Freedom for this. From Joe Biden!

Frayed Knot Jan 11 2021 08:11 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Bill Belichick was supposed to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump this week, but he's turning it down! Good for him. Yes, good for Belichick but I wonder if he would have also turned it down Last week, or was it just the events at the Capitol which suddenly made rubbing up against him too PR-adverse for public figures to endure?

Benjamin Grimm Jan 11 2021 08:32 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'm sure it was.

Edgy MD Jan 11 2021 10:11 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Hallmark, which contributes to politicians via a PAC called HALLPAC, went a step further, saying in a statement, “The recent actions of Senators Josh Hawley and Roger Marshall do not reflect our company's values. As a result, HALLPAC requested Sens. Hawley and Marshall to return all HALLPAC campaign contributions.” Phew, I thought they were going to suspend all their birthday cards.

Edgy MD Jan 11 2021 10:17 PM Re: Politics 2021

Frayed Knot wrote: Benjamin Grimm wrote: Bill Belichick was supposed to receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Trump this week, but he's turning it down! Good for him. Yes, good for Belichick but I wonder if he would have also turned it down Last week, or was it just the events at the Capitol which suddenly made rubbing up against him too PR-adverse for public figures to endure? It got little press coverage (because insurrection), but a day after the terrorism against the Capitol, the president gave the Medal of Freedom to Gary Player and Annika Sörenstam (an immigrant yes, but from Scandinavia, so not a filthy rapist immigrant), as well as posthumously to Babe Didrikson Zaharias. That makes 14 of 24 Medals of Freedom awarded by the president to sports figures, and two of the 24 have gone to Babes. And I don't think it would make me look too cynical if I noticed that giving to golfers when golf is a big chunk of his business is, well ... sketchy. But how much freer are we all because of Annika, am I right?

Lefty Specialist Jan 12 2021 08:11 AM Re: Politics 2021

He's completely devalued the Medal of Freedom. One more thing that needs to be fixed. Belichick was a big Trump supporter in 2016, and was happy to receive the award when it was initially offered. He made the only decision he could, though.

MFS62 Jan 12 2021 08:42 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: He's completely devalued the Medal of Freedom. My wife said they'll soon be giving one free with every happy meal at McDonald's. Donald would have had a room full if they had started sooner. Later

MFS62 Jan 12 2021 09:10 AM Re: Politics 2021

tRump is taking a last victory lap, visiting places he feels show off the good things (his opinion) he has done while president. He's starting with a speech at the Alamo to talk about his wall. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/12/donald-trump-heads-texas-defend-his-legacy-remember-the-alamo/6623672002/ If he ever read a book, he might know the US lost the battle of the Alamo. As they used to say in the old Westerns, "He's a-headin' fer the border. Cut him off at the pass!" Later

Willets Point Jan 12 2021 09:42 AM Re: Politics 2021

Kind of a no-brainer for Belichick, it's not a particularly bold act of courage. Megan Rapinoe is someone more deserving of a Medal of Freedom.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 12 2021 12:21 PM Re: Politics 2021

Donald Trump warns impeachment effort is causing ‘tremendous anger' https://www.ft.com/content/2f107a54-e70c-4a52-a26d-89fbb188bfbd That's a real nice country youse have there. It'd be a real shame if anything were to happen to it because I was impeached. Like a piano falling on its head. People are saying and people are telling me. I hope nothing violent happens because I'm against violence and everybody knows that.

MFS62 Jan 12 2021 12:31 PM Re: Politics 2021

How really fucking stupid is Susan Collins? She thought the MAGA hat wearing, white skinned mob attacking the Capitol was Iranians. THAT's how stupid. https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-sen-susan-collins-thought-000703448.html Still defending tRump while her own rump is in danger. Later

batmagadanleadoff Jan 12 2021 12:35 PM Re: Politics 2021

How really fucking stupid is Susan Collins? She thought the MAGA hat wearing, white skinned mob attacking the Capitol was Iranians. THAT's how stupid. https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-sen-susan-collins-thought-000703448.html Still defending tRump while her own rump is in danger. Later She's not stupid. She's a scumbag. She's spreading a big lie and she knows it. They're all spreading big lies. If they repeat that the election was stolen a zillion times, of course lotsa people are going to believe it.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 12 2021 12:42 PM Re: Politics 2021

False fraud claims fanned Capitol riot. Now they're fueling GOP efforts to restrict voting. Excerpt: When Congress voted last week, in the immediate aftermath of the Trump-fueled riot, to finalize the Electoral College results declaring Joe Biden the winner of November's election, bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate joined dozens of courts around the country in concluding that there was not meaningful fraud in the election. But despite those findings, Republicans in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Texas and likely other states including Michigan and Wisconsin are moving to roll back access to mail balloting, eliminate drop boxes, toughen voter identification laws and erect other barriers to the ballot in the name of improving voter security and restoring "faith" in the outcome. "We are seeing a continued use of the voter fraud lie and thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories over the integrity of this election to drive a vote suppression agenda," says Wendy Weiser, who directs the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law. https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/12/politics/voter-fraud-claims-gop-states-restrict-laws/index.html

Lefty Specialist Jan 12 2021 01:47 PM Re: Politics 2021

Republicans never waste a crisis. Democrats shouldn't either. They should pass the John Lewis Voting Rights legislation and if a Republican filibusters it, eliminate the filibuster.

Lefty Specialist Jan 12 2021 04:59 PM Re: Politics 2021

Liz Cheney coming out for impeachment is, well, interesting. And Mitch McConnell is supposedly happy about it because it'll clean the Trump stink off the Republican party (As if.) Tectonic plates may be shifting on this. Tectonic cups and saucers, too.

ashie62 Jan 12 2021 05:20 PM Re: Politics 2021

9 days to go. There will be neither a 25th Amnt nor an impeachment,

kcmets Jan 12 2021 05:29 PM Re: Politics 2021

Disagree 110%, he's finally done. Stick a fork in his orange belly.

ashie62 Jan 12 2021 05:34 PM Re: Politics 2021

Respectfully no not see it happening,

Benjamin Grimm Jan 12 2021 05:42 PM Re: Politics 2021

There most certainly will be an impeachment. It may not result in a conviction, but impeachment is going to happen as soon as tomorrow.

MFS62 Jan 12 2021 05:48 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: There most certainly will be an impeachment. It may not result in a conviction, but impeachment is going to happen as soon as tomorrow. This. Later

batmagadanleadoff Jan 12 2021 06:18 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: And Mitch McConnell is supposedly happy about it because it'll clean the Trump stink off the Republican party (As if.) It'll be real news when Mitch McConnell says that he'll vote to convict Trump in an impeachment trial, which he hasn't, yet.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 12 2021 06:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: And Mitch McConnell is supposedly happy about it because it'll clean the Trump stink off the Republican party (As if.) It'll be real news when Mitch McConnell says that he'll vote to convict Trump in an impeachment trial, which he hasn't, yet. BTW, I prefer an impeachment conviction over a 25th Amendment removal. And I'd like for the impeachment trial to be held when Schumer's the majority leader. A 25th Amendment removal would promote Pence to VP, and if Pence then pardons Trump, that pardon would carry more weight than if Trump voluntarily resigned at the last minute so that Pence could issue his pardon. Trump's voluntary resignation at the last minute would tend to make Pence's brief presidency look like a sham created for the sole purpose of pardoning Trump and susceptible to a legal challenge. This wouldn't be the case if Pence assumed the presidency because Trump was convicted in an impeachment trial.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 12 2021 07:14 PM Re: Politics 2021

I fully expect Trump to remain in office for the next seven and a half days. I wish there was a way to force him out but I don't see it happening. The impeachment trial will occur under Schumer and maybe there will be enough votes to convict, depending on which way the wind is blowing at the time, but I doubt it.

Edgy MD Jan 12 2021 08:52 PM Re: Politics 2021

There is a way to force him out. There are plenty of ways. The most obvious one is to put him in the Nixon cul-de-sac — to make resigning the best choice among bad options. Collect enough votes in the Senate, and send a delegation to see him and tell him he's doomed if he doesn't resign. They will vote overwhemingly against him, he would lose his pension and benefits, and go down in ignominy. If that doesn't make him jump, they remind him that resigning may make prosecutors and investigators a bit less vigorous in their criminal probes against him. All we need is a will.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 13 2021 06:56 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lawmakers gave groups ‘reconnaissance' tours of the Capitol one day before riots, Democratic representative says Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) on Jan. 12 alleged that some lawmakers led rioters on a "reconnaissance" mission through the Capitol a day before the Jan. 6 riots. By Andrea Salcedo Jan. 13, 2021 at 6:58 a.m. EST Excerpt: One day before a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol, a Democratic lawmaker says she saw colleagues leading groups on “reconnaissance” tours of the building. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) made the startling claim in a Facebook Live broadcast on Tuesday night as she took aim at Republicans for inciting the pro-Trump mob that vandalized the Capitol and attacked police officers. Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, described seeing “members of Congress who had groups coming through the Capitol that I saw on Jan. 5 for reconnaissance for the next day.” “I'm going see that they're held accountable,” Sherrill added. Sherrill did not specifically identify which lawmakers she saw leading groups through the Capitol. Her office did not immediately respond to a message from The Washington Post late on Tuesday. The FBI and the U.S. Capitol Police also did not immediately respond to messages about whether the agencies are investigating the claim. Sherrill aired her claims the same night that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said she feared GOP colleagues who were sympathetic to the rioters might give her up to the mob. Critics have also taken aim at one freshman GOP representative who tweeted out the location of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) during the chaos. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez says she feared GOP lawmakers would lead rioters to her: ‘I thought I was going to die' https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/01/13/mikie-sherrill-reconnaissance-capitol-attack/

Willets Point Jan 13 2021 08:16 AM Re: Politics 2021

Also, someone tore out all of the panic buttons from my representative's office: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/13/nation/it-was-like-looking-evil-capitol-attack-through-eyes-massachusetts-delegation/

Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2021 08:28 AM Re: Politics 2021

You should move to the district represented by the old lady with the purple hair.

Willets Point Jan 13 2021 08:59 AM Re: Politics 2021

I don't know who that is, but I'll stick with Ayanna Pressley.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2021 09:16 AM Re: Politics 2021

I was wrong... Rosa DeLauro is from Connecticut, not Massachusetts.

Lefty Specialist Jan 13 2021 09:22 AM Re: Politics 2021

Mikie Sherrill is not a crazy person, and not one to go out on a limb like this. If this is really true, some members of Congress will need to be expelled. I'm represented by the extremely qualified Tom Malinowski and couldn't be happier.

Edgy MD Jan 13 2021 10:14 AM Re: Politics 2021

Still, I'd prefer Congresswoman Sherrill played her cards closer to her chest. Any information she has should be discreetly given to competent investigators and prosecutors. Making a public announcement of it allows any perpetrators an opportunity to cover their tracks, and it also quickly leads to the public splitting on partisan lines as to whether they buy the story. It has much more force coming out of the mouth of a US Attorney or an FBI official.

Fman99 Jan 13 2021 10:26 AM Re: Politics 2021

My representative made some national headlines this week by being one of the early Republicans to go on board with a vote to impeach.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2021 11:28 AM Re: Politics 2021

The young guy in the light blue suit is especially nuts.

kcmets Jan 13 2021 12:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

Yeah, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that's Gaetz FLA (R)

A Boy Named Seo Jan 13 2021 12:43 PM Re: Politics 2021

There are a lot of stupid people in Congress.

Fman99 Jan 13 2021 12:56 PM Re: Politics 2021

A Boy Named Seo wrote: There are a lot of stupid people in Congress. We call that "representative government." Stupid people need to be represented by one of their own.

Lefty Specialist Jan 13 2021 01:00 PM Re: Politics 2021

Matt Gaetz is Stupid on steroids. He's like the Sammy Sosa of Stupid.

MFS62 Jan 13 2021 01:01 PM Re: Politics 2021

If the Republicans in Congress don't want to go through the metal detectors, put them on the no-fly list. https://www.yahoo.com/huffpost/gop-refuses-capitol-safety-rules-030009300.html Later

Benjamin Grimm Jan 13 2021 01:16 PM Re: Politics 2021

Or perhaps 140 of their own.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 15 2021 01:17 PM Re: Politics 2021

The lawyer for the "QAnon shaman" arrested for his actions during the Capitol riot asks president Trump to pardon all those arrested in connection with the incident. "He has a responsibility to his followers".

Benjamin Grimm Jan 15 2021 01:19 PM Re: Politics 2021

I was worried that Trump might do something like that, but that would make it look like the rioters were his cohorts (as they were) and since it would reflect bad on him, he would probably prefer to throw them all under the bus, with everyone else.

Frayed Knot Jan 15 2021 02:05 PM Re: Politics 2021

Just like a lot of mainstream Republicans are already learning, this guy is under the mistaken impression that Trump will give a shit about any of them once they can no longer do him any good. Try dropping in on Donnie in Mar-a-Largo after January 20th Mr. Shaman, see how far past the gate your loyalty will get you ... assuming the dogs and armed guards don't get to you first.

Edgy MD Jan 15 2021 07:04 PM Re: Politics 2021

I agree that the president won't pardon anybody out of loyalty and appreciation. But he might pardon them as a fuck you to you and me. That's kind of why I think authorities are holding off on the most serious charges.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 15 2021 10:27 PM Re: Politics 2021

Katie Couric, appearing on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect", said that at Trump's impeachment trial, the Senate can take a simple majority vote on whether or not Trump can ever hold office again even if it fails to first get the 2/3 supermajority vote needed to remove him from office. Did not know that, if she's right. I thought conviction and removal was a prerequisite to voting on whether Trump could ever hold office again.

Edgy MD Jan 15 2021 10:51 PM Re: Politics 2021

I can't believe there's still (or is again, I guess) a version of Politically Incorrect.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 15 2021 11:01 PM Re: Politics 2021

My mistake. Maher's current show is "Real Time with Bill Maher". And if Katie's right, then it makes sense to have the trial after Biden's sworn in. Those newly minted Georgia senators will give the Dems two more reliable votes.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 05:24 AM Re: Politics 2021

Katie Couric, appearing on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect", said that at Trump's impeachment trial, the Senate can take a simple majority vote on whether or not Trump can ever hold office again even if it fails to first get the 2/3 supermajority vote needed to remove him from office. Did not know that, if she's right. I thought conviction and removal was a prerequisite to voting on whether Trump could ever hold office again. Katie can't be right about this. Otherwise, whenever the president's opposite party controls both branches of congress, which is often the case after the mid-terms, especially when the president is a Dem, it can vote to impeach and then vote to ban him from ever running again with simple majorities even if it can't convict in an impeachment trial. It would be an easy way to prevent a 1st term president from running as an incumbent for a second term. In fact, the GOP was in position to do this to Clinton, having gained control of both branches after the 1994 mid-terms. I'm sure they would have if impeachment trials worked like Couric said they did.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 05:36 AM Re: Politics 2021

Katie Couric, appearing on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect", said that at Trump's impeachment trial, the Senate can take a simple majority vote on whether or not Trump can ever hold office again even if it fails to first get the 2/3 supermajority vote needed to remove him from office. Did not know that, if she's right. I thought conviction and removal was a prerequisite to voting on whether Trump could ever hold office again. Katie can't be right about this. Otherwise, whenever the president's opposite party controls both branches of congress, which is often the case after the mid-terms, especially when the president is a Dem, it can vote to impeach and then vote to ban him from ever running again with simple majorities even if it can't convict in an impeachment trial. It would be an easy way to prevent a 1st term president from running as an incumbent for a second term. In fact, the GOP was in position to do this to Clinton, having gained control of both branches after the 1994 mid-terms. I'm sure they would have if impeachment trials worked like Couric said they did.

Lefty Specialist Jan 16 2021 05:42 AM Re: Politics 2021

She is right. Once he's convicted by a 2/3 majority, there's a separate vote immediately after that is whether or not he can ever hold office again. That vote is a simple majority.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 06:04 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: She is right. Once he's convicted by a 2/3 majority, there's a separate vote immediately after that is whether or not he can ever hold office again. That vote is a simple majority. She can't be right and that's not what Katie said. Katie said that in an impeachment trial, the Senate can vote to ban the president from ever running again even if it did not get a conviction to remove.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2021 06:12 AM Re: Politics 2021

She may be referring to this. According to a recent column in the Washington Post, Trump can be barred using Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Fourteenth Amendment wrote: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. It only applies in cases of "insurrection or rebellion", not for lying about blowjobs, as Clinton did. Here's the full article: There's an alternative to impeachment or 25th Amendment for Trump, historians say

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 05:56 PM Re: Politics 2021

Katie was talking about an impeachment proceeding. Here's Maher's full show. Pick it up at the 22:00 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjBNxcTeSe8

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2021 08:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

I saw the show. Katie may not have been clear about it, but the 14th Amendment would be the way to bar Trump from running again even if an impeachment fails.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 08:23 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I saw the show. Katie may not have been clear about it, but the 14th Amendment would be the way to bar Trump from running again even if an impeachment fails. I hope Katie had confused the 14th amendment with an impeachment because what she was saying was wackadoo. According to Katie, a brand new president could theoretically be impeached on his very first day in office by a simple majority vote in the House and then prevented from ever running again with a simple majority vote in the Senate even if the 2/3 vote to remove isn't there. That president would be rendered a lame-duck for four years minus a day or two or a couple. We'd have a four year lame-duck session.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 16 2021 08:35 PM Re: Politics 2021

I know. That would be so easily, and so frequently, abused.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 08:51 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I know. That would be so easily, and so frequently, abused. And then, like ten seconds after the brand new president is barred from ever holding office again, they'd do it to the vice president.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 16 2021 08:52 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I know. That would be so easily, and so frequently, abused. And then, like ten seconds after the brand new president is barred from ever holding office again, they'd do it to the vice president. Or better yet, they'd do it to the president and vice president simultaneously.

Edgy MD Jan 16 2021 11:02 PM Re: Politics 2021

Katie lies. I mean, you could see it in her eyes.

Frayed Knot Jan 17 2021 04:40 AM Re: Politics 2021

Dan of Steel references, always welcome. Hope there are no impeachment questions on any upcoming Jeopardy episodes seeing as how Katie is scheduled to be one of the guest hosts. Would probably be embarrassing for her if Aaron Rogers turns out to be more accurate than she about the workings of government.

whippoorwill Jan 17 2021 11:59 AM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 17 2021 12:09 PM

Edgy MD wrote: Katie lies. I mean, you could see it in her eyes. Can you hear me Dr Woo? I used to call gf212121 Dr Woo but now I can't remember why

whippoorwill Jan 17 2021 12:00 PM Re: Politics 2021

Have we ever had a a Steely Dan thread?

Fman99 Jan 17 2021 06:35 PM Re: Politics 2021

=whippoorwill post_id=54155 time=1610910047 user_id=79] Have we ever had a a Steely Dan thread?

I love the Dan. Seen em twice here in the 'Cuse (sadly both post-Walter Becker, but still, it's really all about Donald Fagen at those shows).

batmagadanleadoff Jan 17 2021 08:35 PM Re: Politics 2021

Trump is expected to issue about 100 pardons and commutations on his last day in office according to aides and insiders.

Edgy MD Jan 17 2021 08:51 PM Re: Politics 2021

Was kind of hoping against all hope that his secretary was hiding in the bathroom and he would have no clue where to find the pardon forms.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 17 2021 09:04 PM Re: Politics 2021

I wonder what would happen if he pardoned every single US citizen?

Willets Point Jan 17 2021 09:15 PM Re: Politics 2021

I wonder what would happen if he pardoned every single US citizen? Even the "libtards, feminisists, antifas, and muslimes?"

Edgy MD Jan 17 2021 09:35 PM Re: Politics 2021

As outrages go, I guess pardons aren't as outrageous as executions. And hey, if everybody gets a pardon, Johnny Cash won't have to wear black anymore.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 17 2021 09:51 PM Re: Politics 2021

Willets Point wrote: I wonder what would happen if he pardoned every single US citizen? Even the "libtards, feminisists, antifas, and muslimes?" Not enough time to separate them out. Everybody but Michael Cohen, I guess.

MFS62 Jan 18 2021 06:08 AM Re: Politics 2021

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=54171 time=1610940952 user_id=68] Trump is expected to issue about 100 pardons and commutations on his last day in office according to aides and insiders.

His Pandora's Box moment. He will be releasing all kinds of evils into the world.

Later

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 08:11 PM Re: Politics 2021

Wow! Lawrence O'donnell says not to trust the list. He says that a presidential pardon may be kept secret and not disclosed until it need be disclosed to defend against an indictment. O'donnell speculates that Trump will self-pardon himself secretly so that the pardon won't be known to the senate sitting as jury in his upcoming impeachment trial.

Benjamin Grimm Jan 18 2021 08:18 PM Re: Politics 2021

It would have to be registered somewhere, and I would think that the information could be released by the Biden Administration.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 08:28 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Jan 19 2021 02:46 AM

A known pardon might dissuade fed authorities from going after Trump on the premise that the exercise would be futile in light of the known public pardon. But if the pardon can truly be kept secret, I suppose the feds might have no choice but to prosecute Trump, not knowing about the pardon, and then once the case is already in the hopper, they might as well challenge the legality of the self-pardon, having already gone to the trouble to prosecute.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 08:34 PM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: It would have to be registered somewhere, and I would think that the information could be released by the Biden Administration. If this is correct, wouldn't Trump have thought of this? Maybe he installed a lackey as the person who is in charge of releasing these documents, hoping that the lackey will resist and the Biden administration will have to resort to the GOP controlled courts for relief.

Edgy MD Jan 18 2021 09:43 PM Re: Politics 2021

Secret pardon? Come on, man.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 09:58 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 2 time(s), most recently on Jan 18 2021 10:04 PM

There is nothing in Article II, Section II, preventing President Trump from signing a document granting a pardon, and then putting the paper in a safe at any of his golf resorts. He is not even required to notify the recipient. That is right, America: Trump can secretly pardon whomever he wants on his last night in office and have those “get out of jail free” cards available if needed. Given the pardon granted Richard Nixon, the scope can be broad. https://thehill.com/opinion/criminal-justice/534222-how-to-stop-trumps-secret-pardons The author then goes on to suggest that the way to make all pardons public is for Congress to pass legislation requiring that pardons be made public. So then my next questions would be whether such proposed legislation would be deemed unconstitutional if it interferes with or undermines a constitutional right. Also, even if the proposed legislation is constitutional, can it be applied retroactively?

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 10:00 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 6 time(s), most recently on Jan 18 2021 10:10 PM

This is such bullshit. And it makes no sense. And the power to secretly pardon can be abused. If pardons can be kept secret, Trump can issue a pardon in the future, say two years from now, and then claim that the pardon was secretly issued while he was president. He would still be able to leverage his enormous power to pardon in return for favors and money and anything else he'd want, even after he's out of office-- although he would only be able to issue pardons for crimes committed before he left office. If the secret pardon doesn't even have to be registered or filed with the government, how would anyone know whether or not the pardon was issued after he left office, and thus, void? But of course, Trump would never do something so dishonest.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 10:03 PM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 4 time(s), most recently on Jan 19 2021 04:50 AM

The rationale is that the Constitution doesn't explicitly say that a pardon must be made public. I always thought those kind of arguments to be very weak. I mean, the First Amendment to the Constitution - the free speech amendment - doesn't limit free speech either: it doesn't say that you can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater if you know that there's no fire, either -- but still, you can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater if you know that there's no fire.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 18 2021 10:09 PM Re: Politics 2021

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=54257 time=1611032448 user_id=68] This is such bullshit. And it makes no sense. And the power to secretly pardon can be abused. If pardons can be kept secret, Trump can issue a pardon in the future, say two years from now, and then claim that the pardon was secretly issued while he was president. He would still be able to leverage his enormous power to pardon for favors and money and anything else he'd want, even after he's out of office-- although he would only be able to issue pardons for crimes committed before he left office. If the secret pardon doesn't even have to be registered or filed with the government, how would anyone whether or not the pardon was issued after he left office? But of course, Trump would never do something so dishonest.

Edgy MD Jan 18 2021 10:23 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'll agree that this is bullshit. But as for issuing pardons in the future, I would imagine that, if nothing else, the theoretical secret pardon would have to have been notarized. "Secret Pardon," by the way, is a way-underrated Bruce Springsteen song.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2021 02:15 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I'll agree that this is bullshit. But as for issuing pardons in the future, I would imagine that, if nothing else, the theoretical secret pardon would have to have been notarized. "Secret Pardon," by the way, is a way-underrated Bruce Springsteen song. Good point. But if that's the case, Trump is probably ahead of this issue, having presumably been informed about the secret pardon power long enough ago that by now Jared or some other trusted insider applied for and got a notary public license precisely for this. The notarization of the secret pardon will also be back dated to appear as if the future secret pardon were issued while Trump was still president.

Fman99 Jan 19 2021 05:30 AM Re: Politics 2021

Axios has a really good series called "Off the Rails" where some insiders have rolled out all the goofy bullshit that's gone down since Election Day. There's six parts so far. Unlike CNN's daily rehashing there's actually some new info in there.

Lefty Specialist Jan 19 2021 06:51 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I'll agree that this is bullshit. But as for issuing pardons in the future, I would imagine that, if nothing else, the theoretical secret pardon would have to have been notarized. "Secret Pardon," by the way, is a way-underrated Bruce Springsteen song. Good point. But if that's the case, Trump is probably ahead of this issue, having presumably been informed about the secret pardon power long enough ago that by now Jared or some other trusted insider applied for and got a notary public license precisely for this. The notarization of the secret pardon will also be back dated to appear as if the future secret pardon were issued while Trump was still president. The Biden Administration will gleefully discover and publicize all those 'secret' pardons.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2021 06:58 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Edgy MD wrote: I'll agree that this is bullshit. But as for issuing pardons in the future, I would imagine that, if nothing else, the theoretical secret pardon would have to have been notarized. "Secret Pardon," by the way, is a way-underrated Bruce Springsteen song. Good point. But if that's the case, Trump is probably ahead of this issue, having presumably been informed about the secret pardon power long enough ago that by now Jared or some other trusted insider applied for and got a notary public license precisely for this. The notarization of the secret pardon will also be back dated to appear as if the future secret pardon were issued while Trump was still president. The Biden Administration will gleefully discover and publicize all those 'secret' pardons. If it's true thatTrump can keep those secret pardons in his private home without having to register them or even inform the government that they exist, I dont see how Biden's gonna discover them. So how will Biden discover the secret pardons under those circumstances?

Lefty Specialist Jan 19 2021 08:35 AM Re: Politics 2021

This is Trump we're talking about. He won't resist the opportunity to brag or grift. Plus, if you pardon someone who's in prison, do they stay in prison while you keep it secret? I just think this is like #97 of Things I Worry About With Trump.

MFS62 Jan 19 2021 10:30 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: This is Trump we're talking about. He won't resist the opportunity to brag or grift. Plus, if you pardon someone who's in prison, do they stay in prison while you keep it secret? I just think this is like #97 of Things I Worry About With Trump. Let me add #98. Once his impeachment goes to trial in the Senate, does double jeopardy apply? Can he then be tried again for, say, conspiracy to commit sedition in federal court, or he immune from another trial? This could be McConnell's way of protecting the GOP by purging him from running again and protecting him from doing any hard time. Later

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2021 11:18 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: This is Trump we're talking about. He won't resist the opportunity to brag or grift. Plus, if you pardon someone who's in prison, do they stay in prison while you keep it secret? I just think this is like #97 of Things I Worry About With Trump. Let me add #98. Once his impeachment goes to trial in the Senate, does double jeopardy apply? Can he then be tried again for, say, conspiracy to commit sedition in federal court, or he immune from another trial? This could be McConnell's way of protecting the GOP by purging him from running again and protecting him from doing any hard time. Double jeopardy has nothing to do with an impeachment trial because the latter is not a criminal proceeding.

ashie62 Jan 19 2021 02:44 PM Re: Politics 2021

I believe Trump just said 'Ricky don't lose than number."

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2021 03:57 PM Re: Politics 2021

Oh, holy God, he gave a Farewell Address. And it was...pretty damn awful. Four years ago, I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and imagining infinite possibilities. I ran for President because I knew there were towering new summits for America just waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was boundless as long as we put America first. So I left behind my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena, but an arena nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if properly done. America had given me so much, and I wanted to give something back. Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country. We also built the greatest economy in the history of the world. It was about “America First” because we all wanted to make America great again. We restored the principle that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn't about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation, and that means the whole nation. With the support and prayers of the American people, we achieved more than anyone thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come close. Lord save us, I am so very tired. Go away now. Go far away. https://youtu.be/6h5_d3DUdR4 https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a35258073/trump-farewell-address/

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2021 04:38 PM Re: Politics 2021

Oh, holy God, he gave a Farewell Address. And it was...pretty damn awful. Four years ago, I came to Washington as the only true outsider ever to win the presidency. I had not spent my career as a politician, but as a builder looking at open skylines and imagining infinite possibilities. I ran for President because I knew there were towering new summits for America just waiting to be scaled. I knew the potential for our nation was boundless as long as we put America first. So I left behind my former life and stepped into a very difficult arena, but an arena nevertheless, with all sorts of potential if properly done. America had given me so much, and I wanted to give something back. Together with millions of hardworking patriots across this land, we built the greatest political movement in the history of our country. We also built the greatest economy in the history of the world. It was about “America First” because we all wanted to make America great again. We restored the principle that a nation exists to serve its citizens. Our agenda was not about right or left, it wasn't about Republican or Democrat, but about the good of a nation, and that means the whole nation. With the support and prayers of the American people, we achieved more than anyone thought possible. Nobody thought we could even come close. Lord save us, I am so very tired. Go away now. Go far away. https://youtu.be/6h5_d3DUdR4 https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a35258073/trump-farewell-address/

batmagadanleadoff Jan 19 2021 05:35 PM Re: Politics 2021

Every single Trump twitter insult, from 2015-2021, sorted chronologically from most recent to oldest. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/19/upshot/trump-complete-insult-list.html#

MFS62 Jan 19 2021 05:42 PM Re: Politics 2021

Every single Trump twitter insult, from 2015-2021, sorted chronologically from most recent to oldest. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/19/upshot/trump-complete-insult-list.html# Calling someone a tRump supporter is one of the worst insults I can imagine. Later

Lefty Specialist Jan 19 2021 05:45 PM Re: Politics 2021

I can't bear to click that link. Can't wait to sleep on my new Dominion Voting Machines Pillow, though. https://gizmodo.com/mypillow-guy-spectacularly-owns-self-amid-dominion-laws-1846085769

batmagadanleadoff Jan 20 2021 09:43 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I'll agree that this is bullshit. But as for issuing pardons in the future, I would imagine that, if nothing else, the theoretical secret pardon would have to have been notarized. "Secret Pardon," by the way, is a way-underrated Bruce Springsteen song. Good point. But if that's the case, Trump is probably ahead of this issue, having presumably been informed about the secret pardon power long enough ago that by now Jared or some other trusted insider applied for and got a notary public license precisely for this. The notarization of the secret pardon will also be back dated to appear as if the future secret pardon were issued while Trump was still president. Trump wouldn't even have to do this. He already has trusted insiders who, very likely, are notaries. Like his accountant - that Weisselberg guy - for one. Or members of Kushner's family. They're in real estate, ferchrissakes. They're probably all notaries.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 20 2021 09:54 AM Re: Politics 2021

Well, Trump didn't step down at the 11th hour so that President Pence could pardon him. So if there's a pardon out there for Trump, it's gonna have to be a self-pardon, which might not withstand judicial scrutiny. Now let's see if Biden's DOJ will indict this piece of trash.

Edgy MD Jan 20 2021 11:03 AM Re: Politics 2021

I think he kind of burned that bridge with Vice President Pence.

MFS62 Jan 20 2021 11:14 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I think he kind of burned that bridge with Vice President Pence. And in his farewell address, Pence didn't mention tRump even once. Later

batmagadanleadoff Jan 20 2021 11:18 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I think he kind of burned that bridge with Vice President Pence. I think he nuked that bridge.

Fman99 Jan 20 2021 01:53 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'm excited for politics to be dull-as-fuck like they used to be.

nymr83 Jan 20 2021 02:20 PM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I think he kind of burned that bridge with Vice President Pence. Would have been funny for Trump to step down and then Pence to take exactly one official action as president - at the podium just before Biden's swearing in - appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Trump

kcmets Jan 20 2021 02:23 PM Re: Politics 2021

^^^basically where I'm at starting tomorrow^^^ OE: pointing up one post

Fman99 Jan 20 2021 06:28 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'm Schaudenfraude-reading various stories about how disillusioned and confused the QAnon followers are now that their great revolt fell flat.

Edgy MD Jan 20 2021 09:20 PM Re: Politics 2021

Oh, man, the "Just wait!" posts crazed folks have been making.

batmagadanleadoff Jan 21 2021 04:28 AM Re: Politics 2021

Tear down that wall! Biden starts fast on immigration by halting border wall .... https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/20/politics/immigration-daca-border-wall-biden-agenda/index.html Biden Signs Executive Orders ... Stopping Border Wall Construction https://www.nationalreview.com/news/biden-signs-executive-orders-ending-trumps-travel-ban-stopping-border-wall-construction/

Lefty Specialist Jan 21 2021 06:16 PM Re: Politics 2021

https://twitter.com/tnewtondunn/status/1352284365854806017?s=20

Lefty Specialist Jan 22 2021 05:56 AM Re: Politics 2021

33 hours into the Biden Administration feels like a week to Sean, I guess. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EsTgg31XMAEFZdR?format=jpg&name=small>

batmagadanleadoff Jan 22 2021 01:32 PM Re: Politics 2021

The push to convict Trump and finally get rid of him is gaining momentum among Republicans. McConnell privately says he wants Trump gone as Republicans quietly lobby him to convict https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/22/politics/mcconnell-trump-impeachment-conviction-republicans/index.html

Benjamin Grimm Jan 22 2021 01:52 PM Re: Politics 2021

I think it's a longshot to get those 17 Republican votes, but if anything is going to do it, it's this: The lobbying effort has included behind-the-scenes pressure by Republican donors

Fman99 Jan 22 2021 01:52 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'm sure they want to keep him from ever holding office again. Only problem is, if that's decided, he'll spin off and run as a 3rd party candidate in 2024 (potentially) and make it about a 0% chance that the Republicans can win in a 3 team race. I guess they should have convicted to impeach the first time he egregiously broke the laws. Sucks to suck!

TransMonk Jan 22 2021 02:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

...if that's decided, he'll spin off and run as a 3rd party candidate in 2024 (potentially) and make it about a 0% chance that the Republicans can win in a 3 team race. https://media.giphy.com/media/l0NwNrl4BtDD7JCx2/giphy.gif>

Benjamin Grimm Jan 22 2021 02:33 PM Re: Politics 2021

He won't be able to run as a third-party candidate if he's convicted in the impeachment and then, in a subsequent vote, barred from holding national office.

MFS62 Jan 29 2021 02:47 PM Re: Politics 2021

I knew when I invented this, I knew we should have tested it in the desert. https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-jewish-space-laser-mockery-1565325 Later

Lefty Specialist Jan 30 2021 04:29 AM Re: Politics 2021

Benjamin Grimm wrote: He won't be able to run as a third-party candidate if he's convicted in the impeachment and then, in a subsequent vote, barred from holding national office. Well, it's obvious THAT's not happening. Only 5 Republicans will vote for impeachment, and Kevin McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago to kiss Trump's ring already. It's like January 6th never happened. They've decided that they want him inside the tent pissing out rather than outside the tent pissing in. Democrats need to use this. Republicans are now the crazy party. Marjorie Taylor-Greene and Donald Trump are now its face. This needs to be pounded home in the midterms, in places where these two turn off voters. Apparently in northwest Georgia and places like Wyoming the crazy is too strong to fight, but it's a winning message among rational Americans, and there are still more of us than them.

ashie62 Jan 30 2021 06:53 AM Re: Politics 2021

I'd like to see a pick your spots strategy that is not overly progressive.

Edgy MD Jan 30 2021 07:48 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Well, it's obvious THAT's not happening. Only 5 Republicans will vote for impeachment, and Kevin McCarthy went to Mar-a-Lago to kiss Trump's ring already. It's like January 6th never happened. They've decided that they want him inside the tent pissing out rather than outside the tent pissing in. The vote hasn't taken place yet, and Kevin McCarthy doesn't get a ballot. So I'm all for continuing to pressure Senators to honor their vows.

MFS62 Jan 30 2021 08:16 AM Re: Politics 2021

Robert Reich has suggested that the first vote, which can be passed by a simple majority, is for a resolution that the vote on the impeachment charges would be by secret ballot. Maybe some of the Senators who are afraid of the public vote would vote to convict. Later

batmagadanleadoff Feb 01 2021 02:46 AM Re: Politics 2021

Reason #4,459 for Democrats to kill the filibuster and pass major legislation, including the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Or else cling to the sad delusion that it's 1974 all over again and the Biden administration can produce its Kumbaya moments with the radical scumbag right to pass bipartisan legislation. Cue the scene where Charlie Brown lines up to kick the football held by placeholder Lucy. And ... scene. Action!. (The role of Lucy is played by Senator Mitch McConnell. The role of Charlie Brown is played by Joe Biden. Or Amy Klobuchar. Or Joe Manchin.) Last week, the Brennan Center for Justice reported that, “In a backlash to historic voter turnout in the 2020 general election, and grounded in a rash of baseless and racist allegations of voter fraud and election irregularities, [Republican] legislators have introduced three times the number of bills to restrict voting access as compared to this time last year.” The 106 bills the center identified in 28 states sought to limit mail voting, impose stricter voter-ID requirements, roll back voter-friendly registration policies and enable more aggressive voter purges. What Donald Trump and his mob could not achieve before President Biden's inauguration will instead come through the back door of state-level ­legislation. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-democrats-choice-protect-the-filibuster-or-protect-democracy/2021/01/29/0e78ba24-6278-11eb-afbe-9a11a127d146_story.html?itid=hp_opinions

Fman99 Feb 01 2021 04:26 AM Re: Politics 2021

That is blatant and disgusting. The GOP really does make me want to puke.

Lefty Specialist Feb 01 2021 04:49 PM Re: Politics 2021

Well, get ready for more puke. Just overturn election results you don't like, voters be damned. PHOENIX — A second-term Republican lawmaker wants to allow the Arizona Legislature to overturn the results of a presidential election, even after the count was formally certified by the governor and secretary of state — and even after Congress counted the state's electors. The proposal of Rep. Shawnna Bolick of Phoenix contains a series of provisions designed to make it easier for those unhappy with elections to go to court. That would include allowing challengers to demand a jury trial and, more to the point, barring a trial judge or an appellate court from throwing out the case, even for lack of evidence, before the jurors get to rule. That actually would affect the rules of court procedures that are set up and overseen by the Arizona Supreme Court, on which her husband, Clint, serves. The most sweeping provision says that, regardless of any other law, the legislature retains ultimate authority in deciding who are the state's presidential electors. And it spells out that lawmakers, by a simple majority, can revoke the formal certification of the results and substitute their own decision at any time right up to the day a new president is inaugurated.

metsmarathon Feb 01 2021 05:36 PM Re: Politics 2021

howsabout if theres any presidential election where the popular vote in a state differs from the majority party in its legislature, that party loses all of its fucking seats because, clearly, they got that way through rank gerrymandering

ashie62 Feb 01 2021 06:11 PM Re: Politics 2021

Not surprised. The puke also is that the impeachment trial is a total fucking waste of time that only further emboldens Trump.

Edgy MD Feb 01 2021 08:29 PM Re: Politics 2021

I think it's an absolutely great investment of time.

LWFS Feb 01 2021 10:25 PM Re: Politics 2021

In case y'all needed some more emotional ipecac: AOC describes her personal experience of January 6 on Instagram Live... recapped here. Moving, unsettling stuff. [BLOCKQUOTE]She shared that on Jan. 6, when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, she hid in the bathroom of her office. She heard someone break in, shouting, "Where is she?" over and over again. Ocasio-Cortez knew she was a target for threats; she had been told days before the attack that she must be careful, especially on Jan. 6. "I thought I was going to die,” she said. "I have never been quieter in my entire life." Ocasio-Cortez explained that she had hidden in Representative Katie Porter's office in an effort to remain safe. At one point, she looked for left-behind gym clothes to hide in so she would be able to escape the Capitol unscathed. She detailed that she was prepared to jump out the window—"I'm fully bracing for impact"—and that she didn't know which officers to trust. "Are some offices safer than others because they have white-sounding names, or male-sounding names?"[/BLOCKQUOTE]

batmagadanleadoff Feb 02 2021 07:14 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Well, get ready for more puke. Just overturn election results you don't like, voters be damned. PHOENIX — A second-term Republican lawmaker wants to allow the Arizona Legislature to overturn the results of a presidential election, even after the count was formally certified by the governor and secretary of state — and even after Congress counted the state's electors. The proposal of Rep. Shawnna Bolick of Phoenix contains a series of provisions designed to make it easier for those unhappy with elections to go to court. That would include allowing challengers to demand a jury trial and, more to the point, barring a trial judge or an appellate court from throwing out the case, even for lack of evidence, before the jurors get to rule. That actually would affect the rules of court procedures that are set up and overseen by the Arizona Supreme Court, on which her husband, Clint, serves. The most sweeping provision says that, regardless of any other law, the legislature retains ultimate authority in deciding who are the state's presidential electors. And it spells out that lawmakers, by a simple majority, can revoke the formal certification of the results and substitute their own decision at any time right up to the day a new president is inaugurated. =metsmarathon post_id=55288 time=1612226162 user_id=83] howsabout if theres any presidential election where the popular vote in a state differs from the majority party in its legislature, that party loses all of its fucking seats because, clearly, they got that way through rank gerrymandering

That's an efficient strategy for counteracting Arizona's growing liberal and Democratic population. So let's just cut to the chase: Let's have a law where only Republican controlled State legislatures get to vote in presidential elections. From there, we can then pass a law that the president has to be a Republican.





Stupid Electoral College.

MFS62 Feb 02 2021 04:08 PM Re: Politics 2021

I'll take "What does a moron say?" for $200, Ken. (From Business Insider via Yahoo) https://www.yahoo.com/news/gop-sen-tommy-tuberville-says-201400141.html Sen. Tommy Tuberville said on Tuesday that he can't comment on allegations about Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. "I haven't even looked at what all she's done," he said. "Travel in this weather it's been a little rough looking at any news or whatever." Seriously? Later

Lefty Specialist Feb 04 2021 01:45 PM Re: Politics 2021

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=55322 time=1612275293 user_id=68] That's an efficient strategy for counteracting Arizona's growing liberal and Democratic population. So let's just cut to the chase: Let's have a law where only Republican controlled State legislatures get to vote in presidential elections. From there, we can then pass a law that the president has to be a Republican. Stupid Electoral College.

Yeah, that's a prime example of why it needs to be jettisoned ASAP. If Trump had needed Arizona or Georgia to win, the pressure on these legislators would have been enormous. This is what scares me about 2024. Democrats don't only need to win, they need to win overwhelmingly. Biden won by 84 electoral votes and 7 million popular votes, and 35% of the American population is convinced he lost and Trump should be president. That, and Jewish space lasers.

Edgy MD Feb 04 2021 09:04 PM Re: Politics 2021

Hey, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor-Greene just got stripped of her committee assignments.

Lefty Specialist Feb 05 2021 09:33 AM Re: Politics 2021

She'll be a hero and a martyr to the Q crowd. And the 199 Republicans who voted with her will have 2022 opponent's ads that write themselves.

Willets Point Feb 05 2021 09:46 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: She'll be a hero and a martyr to the Q crowd. And the 199 Republicans who voted with her will have 2022 opponent's ads that write themselves. Opponent's ads for 2022 Republican incumbents will also feature their votes against impeaching Trump (twice) which will look much worse as the full extent of Trump's crimes and corruption are exposed over the next two years. And the ads will also have insurrectionists storming the Capitol, which will also be stark as investigations reveal the organization behind the attack and GOP collaboration behind it. Or they would, if the majority of Democrats didn't worship at the altar of Bipartisanship and use their campaigns to accentuate how much they can work with Republicans.

Edgy MD Feb 05 2021 11:00 AM Re: Politics 2021

Ads, shmads. She lost her assignments — which saves important committees a lot of opportunity for mischief — in a vote that had even more Republicans on board than the impeachment vote. Do the right thing. Let the marketers worry about how to sell it.

MFS62 Feb 05 2021 11:04 AM Re: Politics 2021

Mike Lindell's self-made three hour movie is so batshit crazy that even OAN prefaces it with a disclaimer. https://www.yahoo.com/news/mypillow-ceo-mike-lindells-election-165259476.html Later

Lefty Specialist Feb 05 2021 11:43 AM Re: Politics 2021

Bet the lawyers worked overtime on that disclaimer. Too bad for them there's already reams of recorded evidence that'll doom them. Play fast and loose with the reputation of a large corporation, you'd better be able to accept the consequences.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 06 2021 04:03 PM Re: Politics 2021

From the Department of Everything Trump Touches Dies: He fucked up the mail, too. Biden inherited a USPS crisis. Here's how Democrats want to fix it. Excerpt: Through it all, the Postal Service's financial position worsened: It lost $9.2 billion in 2020, despite collecting $73.2 billion in revenue. Democrats in Congress want a new postmaster general, which could happen only if the nine-member governing board changes. Though the administration has signaled it will move aggressively to rehabilitate the agency — Biden replaced the Republican chair of the Postal Regulatory Commission with a Democrat on Jan. 25 — there's not much the president can do to intervene immediately in postal operations. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2021/business/usps-performance-whats-next-biden/ _____________________________ Trump's lie that the election was stolen has cost $519 million (and counting) as taxpayers fund enhanced security, legal fees, property repairs and more Excerpt: President Donald Trump's onslaught of falsehoods about the November election misled millions of Americans, undermined faith in the electoral system, sparked a deadly riot — and has now left taxpayers with a large, and growing, bill. The total so far: $519 million. The costs have mounted daily as government agencies at all levels have been forced to devote public funds to respond to actions taken by Trump and his supporters, according to a Washington Post review of local, state and federal spending records, as well as interviews with government officials. The expenditures include legal fees prompted by dozens of fruitless lawsuits, enhanced security in response to death threats against poll workers, and costly repairs needed after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. That attack triggered the expensive massing of thousands of National Guard troops on the streets of Washington amid fears of additional extremist violence. Although more than $480 million of the total is attributable to the military's estimate. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/cost-trump-election-fraud/?itid=hp-top-table-main-24

whippoorwill Feb 06 2021 05:37 PM Re: Politics 2021

From the Department of Everything Trump Touches Dies: He fucked up the mail, too. Biden inherited a USPS crisis. Here's how Democrats want to fix it. Excerpt: Through it all, the Postal Service's financial position worsened: It lost $9.2 billion in 2020, despite collecting $73.2 billion in revenue. Democrats in Congress want a new postmaster general, which could happen only if the nine-member governing board changes. Though the administration has signaled it will move aggressively to rehabilitate the agency — Biden replaced the Republican chair of the Postal Regulatory Commission with a Democrat on Jan. 25 — there's not much the president can do to intervene immediately in postal operations. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2021/business/usps-performance-whats-next-biden/ _____________________________ Trump's lie that the election was stolen has cost $519 million (and counting) as taxpayers fund enhanced security, legal fees, property repairs and more Excerpt: President Donald Trump's onslaught of falsehoods about the November election misled millions of Americans, undermined faith in the electoral system, sparked a deadly riot — and has now left taxpayers with a large, and growing, bill. The total so far: $519 million. The costs have mounted daily as government agencies at all levels have been forced to devote public funds to respond to actions taken by Trump and his supporters, according to a Washington Post review of local, state and federal spending records, as well as interviews with government officials. The expenditures include legal fees prompted by dozens of fruitless lawsuits, enhanced security in response to death threats against poll workers, and costly repairs needed after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. That attack triggered the expensive massing of thousands of National Guard troops on the streets of Washington amid fears of additional extremist violence. Although more than $480 million of the total is attributable to the military's estimate. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2021/cost-trump-election-fraud/?itid=hp-top-table-main-24 We actually got a call from our power company telling us there won't be late fees on payments this month because the mail is so bad

Edgy MD Feb 06 2021 09:22 PM Re: Politics 2021

We just got our December credit card bill. We had paid it pretty close just by guessing. Me wife opened it thinking that it was the January bill and seeing the inflated balance from a few Christmas purchases left her a little stunned. I don't mind telling you that it was looking like curtains for this poster for a minute or two there. But really, isn't it about a half year too late to be reporting that the president deliberately sabotaged the US Postal Service?

Edgy MD Feb 07 2021 01:27 PM Re: Politics 2021

So, how about that Lou Dobbs guy going down just like that?

Benjamin Grimm Feb 07 2021 01:28 PM Re: Politics 2021

Hopefully he's the first of many dominoes.

Lefty Specialist Feb 07 2021 01:48 PM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: So, how about that Lou Dobbs guy going down just like that? It's fun to watch the panic building in the right-wing media ecosystem. They've gotten away with bullshit for so long they just assumed they'd keep getting away with it. Hopefully this sends a chill down the spines of Hannity, et al. Otherwise it'll be the SmartMatic News Network.

LWFS Feb 07 2021 09:55 PM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: So, how about that Lou Dobbs guy going down just like that? Massive potential financial gains or losses are the only thing Fox and their ilk care to understand.

Edgy MD Feb 07 2021 09:59 PM Re: Politics 2021

It was so sudden that I'm wondering if there was some apparent impropriety beyond "grossly misinforming people in our name."

Edgy MD Feb 08 2021 10:05 AM Re: Politics 2021

One of the most damning passages in the House impeachment managers' brief: “In fact, when Congressional leaders begged President Trump to send help, or to urge his supporters to stand down, he instead renewed his attacks on the Vice President and focused on lobbying Senators to challenge the election results. Only hours after his mob first breached the Capitol did President Trump release a video statement calling for peace — and even then, he told the insurrectionists (who were at that very moment rampaging through the Capitol) ‘we love you' and ‘you're very special.' ” If anybody tells you that we should be pursuing unity, I would encourage you to ask them if they support giving the president a pass on this.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 08 2021 10:13 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: One of the most damning passages in the House impeachment managers' brief: “In fact, when Congressional leaders begged President Trump to send help, or to urge his supporters to stand down, he instead renewed his attacks on the Vice President and focused on lobbying Senators to challenge the election results. Only hours after his mob first breached the Capitol did President Trump release a video statement calling for peace — and even then, he told the insurrectionists (who were at that very moment rampaging through the Capitol) ‘we love you' and ‘you're very special.' ” If anybody tells you that we should be pursuing unity, I would encourage you to ask them if they support giving the president a pass on this. Don't waste your breath.

Edgy MD Feb 08 2021 10:26 AM Re: Politics 2021

Oh, I'm fighting to the very last breath.

Lefty Specialist Feb 08 2021 01:05 PM Re: Politics 2021

Convicting on the impeachment charges will fail. 55 votes at most. That doesn't mean they shouldn't bother. Sweeping this under the rug would be the 'go signal' for any future fascist.

MFS62 Feb 08 2021 01:19 PM Re: Politics 2021

Democratic Senator: Do you feel the election was unfair and Donald tRump is still the president? Republican Senator: Yes I do Democratic Senator: Then this impeachment proceeding is constitutional, because he's still the president? Republican Senator: No it isn't , because you can't impeach someone who is no longer in office. Democratic Senator: But you just said he is still the president. and it goes round and round. Later

Benjamin Grimm Feb 08 2021 01:20 PM Re: Politics 2021

If nothing else, it's a good way to publicly air Trump's dirty laundry. Make the GOP Senators squirm before they acquit. Sow the ground for a later criminal trial. Who knows what the result will be? On with the trial and let's see what happens!

Lefty Specialist Feb 08 2021 01:46 PM Re: Politics 2021

I hope the family of the Capitol policeman who was killed goes after him and the whole bunch.

ashie62 Feb 08 2021 05:50 PM Re: Politics 2021

This trial only delays Covid relief.

Edgy MD Feb 08 2021 06:58 PM Re: Politics 2021

I don't believe that. I encourage any and all to reject fatalism.

Lefty Specialist Feb 09 2021 05:25 AM Re: Politics 2021

=ashie62 post_id=55744 time=1612831857 user_id=90] This trial only delays Covid relief.

If he'd been successful there'd be no COVID relief at all. The Senate already passed their version of the bill. At this point it just needs to be reconciled with the House bill.

Edgy MD Feb 09 2021 08:41 AM Re: Politics 2021

I don't understand this whole idea of refusing to fight if victory isn't pre-ordained. It's like nobody saw The Karate Kid at all.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 09 2021 08:52 AM Re: Politics 2021

I absolutely agree that this trial very much needs to go forward. But there's a difference between victory not being pre-ordained and defeat seemingly being pre-ordained. I'm virtually certain that Trump will be acquitted in the Senate, but the facts exposed during the trial may lay the groundwork for whatever comes next and that in itself can be a very important step towards justice.

Frayed Knot Feb 09 2021 09:44 AM Re: Politics 2021

Make a good enough case for impeachment and it'll either swing a few votes (unlikely) or it will make those who vote for acquittal have to explain themselves in 2 or 4 or 6 years from now... and even after that for that matter.

metsmarathon Feb 09 2021 10:47 AM Re: Politics 2021

why would you do anything that would make it either easier to vote against conviction, or easier to sweep away what happened? if this is the most excruciating thing that congress ever does... good. it fucking should be. hell. start the trial by stating explicitly that what you excuse for trump, you allow for biden. and brushing this trial away means that, if in 4 years, you happen to 'win' the next presidential election, joe biden and kamala harris will be free - in fact they should be expected - to call on all the left-wing boogeymen you can dream up, to storm the same halls and put in place whatever government they see fit, against the nation's wishes. because it would then be perfectly legal and perfectly proper. and because he's not a walking disaster, he'll pull it off, too. unless the trial of trump tells the story otherwise.

Edgy MD Feb 09 2021 10:48 AM Re: Politics 2021

I don't believe defeat is seemingly pre-ordained. What we have to remember about the cowardice of Senator Wimpypants is that cowardice runs both ways. It takes one small change in the weather for him or her to go from voting the wrong way for the wrong reason to voting the right way for the wrong reason.

metsmarathon Feb 09 2021 10:52 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: cowardice runs both ways this is perhaps the single most [CROSSOUT]prosaic[/CROSSOUT] insightfully concise thing i think that i have ever read. oe: totally misused a word there. embarrasing. really.

kcmets Feb 09 2021 01:26 PM Re: Politics 2021

This Bruce Castor guy is spouting an awful lot of meaningless babble. Someone get the hook!

LWFS Feb 09 2021 06:27 PM Re: Politics 2021

Jamie Raskin is made of much sterner stuff than I am. I have no idea how he got through his personal narrative of the day without breaking into sobs.

Edgy MD Feb 09 2021 08:05 PM Re: Politics 2021

There you go! A 56-44 vote over the Constitutionality question. That's one better than the 55-45 procedural vote of last week. Dams have cracks. Walls come down.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 10 2021 05:24 AM Re: Politics 2021

‘There's Nothing Left': Why Thousands of Republicans Are Leaving the Party Voting registration data indicates a stronger-than-usual flight from the G.O.P. since the Capitol riot, with an intensely fluid period in American politics now underway. Excerpt: In the days after the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, the phone lines and websites of local election officials across the country were jumping: Tens of thousands of Republicans were calling or logging on to switch their party affiliations. In California, more than 33,000 registered Republicans left the party during the three weeks after the Washington riot. In Pennsylvania, more than 12,000 voters left the G.O.P. in the past month, and more than 10,000 Republicans changed their registration in Arizona. An analysis of January voting records by The New York Times found that nearly 140,000 Republicans had quit the party in 25 states that had readily available data (19 states do not have registration by party). Voting experts said the data indicated a stronger-than-usual flight from a political party after a presidential election, as well as the potential start of a damaging period for G.O.P. registrations as voters recoil from the Capitol violence and its fallout. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/10/us/politics/republicans-leaving-party.html We'll see.

Fman99 Feb 10 2021 05:34 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: There you go! A 56-44 vote over the Constitutionality question. That's one better than the 55-45 procedural vote of last week. Dams have cracks. Walls come down. What are these other 44 Republicans so afraid of? C'mon, gang. A former office holder (I won't use the word President in application to someone who really just spent four years watching Fox news and diddling around on his phone in the White House), with no social media presence, and a long term diffidence to any political office or officeholder that is not in his immediate frame of reference. Do they think in 22 months anyone should give a right proper fig which senators and congressmen he endorses or poo-poos? Or that he'll care about any of those races? The only thing that will matter to him are which candidates drag it down to Florida to kiss his wig. And even then, so what? He can't publicly endorse anyone on FB or Twitter anyway. (Or IG, or Snapchat, or Pinterest lol). This is the time, really. Boot his ass to the curb. Let him break off the 30% of your party that's grounded in racism and xenophobia - you're better off without them. Not that I care much for the platform as a whole but the Liz Cheneys and Kizingers of the party will ultimately be the ones vindicated here, if there's any sense in the world.

Lefty Specialist Feb 10 2021 06:01 AM Re: Politics 2021 Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Feb 10 2021 08:07 AM

=Fman99 post_id=55838 time=1612960499 user_id=86]What are these other 44 Republicans so afraid of? C'mon, gang.

They're afraid of losing their jobs and influence. Dead-end Trumpers are 30% of the population but they're 70% of Republican voters. If they cross Trump they'll be subject to abuse (they're doing this already to Ben Sasse in Nebraska), and a primary challenge. Trump is still the kingmaker in the Republican party. When he gets his Twitter megaphone back (and he will after a short time-out), he will be seeking revenge on anyone who goes against him. And they know that will be death for their aspirations. Even the guys retiring and have nothing to lose will not go against him. They want cushy jobs afterwards. They also don't want to be looking over their shoulders wondering if today is the day some deranged Trump fan will come for them. That fear is real.

Edgy MD Feb 10 2021 07:47 AM Re: Politics 2021

That threat comes with the job, and it's a threat every legislator in this country's history has faced.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 10 2021 08:08 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: That threat comes with the job, and it's a threat every legislator in this country's history has faced. The cynic inside of me sez they're more worried about their re-elections. Although, granted, it would be in their self-interests to not get killed or beaten to a bloody pulp, also. But still, you're damn right.

metsmarathon Feb 10 2021 08:54 AM Re: Politics 2021

also, i mean, [BIGPURPLE]fuck[/BIGPURPLE], that threat is all the more reason why they should vote to convict.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 10 2021 09:11 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Trump is still the kingmaker in the Republican party. When he gets his Twitter megaphone back (and he will after a short time-out), he will be seeking revenge on anyone who goes against him... But, see, Trump's Twitter ban is permanent, executive says By Mark Moore February 10, 2021 | 10:31am | Excerpt: Twitter said on Wednesday that former President Donald Trump will remain banned forever from the social media platform, even if he runs for office again. “When you are removed from the platform, you are removed from the platform,” Twitter's chief financial officer Ned Segal told CNBC's “Squawk Box.” “Whether you are a commentator, you're a CFO, or you are a former or current public official.” “Remember​,​ our policies are designed to make sure that people are not inciting violence. And if anybody does that we have to remove them from the service. And our policies don't allow people to come bac​k,” he added. https://nypost.com/2021/02/10/trumps-twitter-ban-is-permanent-even-if-he-returns-to-white-house-exec/

LWFS Feb 10 2021 11:39 AM Re: Politics 2021

=metsmarathon post_id=55862 time=1612972493 user_id=83] also, i mean, [BIGPURPLE]fuck[/BIGPURPLE], that threat is all the more reason why they should vote to convict.

The ones that do are more confident in their ability to kickstart their next careers than those that don't, I reckon.

Lefty Specialist Feb 10 2021 04:05 PM Re: Politics 2021

It won't be permanent, even if they're saying that now. He'll go to Parler or somewhere else and they'll woo him back by lifting the ban. He's enormously good for business. Boy, watching the impeachment managers present their case.......holy shit. This was a very close thing. Republicans will acquit him anyway, because they're cowards.

Edgy MD Feb 10 2021 08:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

Fatalism is breaking out all over, man. You gots to invest yourself. Gangs flip on each other all the time. Am I the only one who saw Meteor Man?

LWFS Feb 10 2021 08:29 PM Re: Politics 2021

Pretty sure that's a "yes"

Edgy MD Feb 10 2021 08:51 PM Re: Politics 2021

Then you're going to have to trust me on this. Don't waste energy throwing up your hands. Keep agitating for justice. And for God's sake, don't see Meteor Man.

LWFS Feb 10 2021 10:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

For what it's worth, I think this is useful, if only because you're essentially drafting the 9/11 Report of this historical episode, and forcing senators to either approve or disapprove of said accounting. Also, for what it's worth, I liked Five Heartbeats. AND Hollywood Shuffle.

Edgy MD Feb 10 2021 10:12 PM Re: Politics 2021

Wow, we're hitting all the Robert Townsend hotspots.

Fman99 Feb 11 2021 08:13 AM Re: Politics 2021

Since the Senate Republicans are all craven fucks, I think the best case scenario is that this new footage makes it a practical impossibility that Trump can ever run for or hold public office in this country again. That's a sad hope to have to cling to but I think it's all we're going to get.

Lefty Specialist Feb 11 2021 09:09 AM Re: Politics 2021

The right wing ecosystem begs to differ. Fox cut off their coverage and focused on the idea that Democrats and Antifa do it too. And since Trump didn't personally beat a policeman with a MAGA flag, he's not responsible. It's also hard to get a guilty verdict when a large number of the jurors are co-conspirators.

Edgy MD Feb 11 2021 09:30 AM Re: Politics 2021

I agree that co-conspirators in the jury is an entirely inappropriate situation. It makes an unbiased verdict impossible. I don't think it necessarily follows, however, that it makes a guilty verdict impossible.

LWFS Feb 11 2021 09:31 AM Re: Politics 2021

The American people kinda suck at voir dire, as it turns out

Edgy MD Feb 11 2021 09:47 AM Re: Politics 2021

Agreed. I think it would be within the Constitutional confines to stop treating the Senate as a jury and start treating them as a pool from which to draw 12 jurors. Sequester them away from news and and away from their cauci, lock 'em in a room at the end of the trial, and try to achieve something approaching justice.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 11 2021 09:54 AM Re: Politics 2021

What part of the Constitution sez all that? Or any of that?

Edgy MD Feb 11 2021 10:11 AM Re: Politics 2021

None of it. But that which isn't required isn't by definition proscribed. The Senate seemingly has the power to make the rules of the trial, and they use that power to make sure a procedure happens that doesn't represent a trial at all. What is required is the consent of 2/3 of the Senate, and that certainly runs afoul of the notion of turning over the verdict to a dozen selected senators. Perhaps the Senate would agree to place their votes in the hands of the jury, so the will of 2/3 of the juror Senators would be reiterated by a vote of 2/3 of the Senate. Or perhaps such an arrangement would require an amendment. It wouldn't be easily attainable. But it would be more akin to a just, fair hearing, I think.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 11 2021 10:54 AM Re: Politics 2021

It's a fantasy. An impeachment trial is not like a criminal trial, notwithstanding that both functions use the word "trial". Just like an impeachment isn't a criminal proceeding and just like the high crimes and misdemeanors that a president must be charged with by the House don't have to be literal crimes that comply with statutory elements of actual comparable crimes. The founders purposely set an extremely high bar for an impeachment conviction well aware of the fact that if the bar were lower or more readily obtainable, the process would be abused for political purposes. The whole process stinks, beginning with the fact that a simple House majority can pass articles of impeachment in the first place. Bill Clinton's blow job from a consenting adult who was dragged into the process against her will by a sneaky scumbag GOP loyalist taping phone calls? Please. Just wait until this criminal version of the GOP gains control of the House again and there's a Democratic president. See what happens then.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 11 2021 11:02 AM Re: Politics 2021

It's a fantasy. An impeachment trial is not like a criminal trial, notwithstanding that both functions use the word "trial". Just like an impeachment isn't a criminal proceeding and just like the high crimes and misdemeanors that a president must be charged with by the House don't have to be literal crimes that comply with statutory elements of actual comparable crimes. The founders purposely set an extremely high bar for an impeachment conviction well aware of the fact that if the bar were lower or more readily obtainable, the process would be abused for political purposes. The whole process stinks, beginning with the fact that a simple House majority can pass articles of impeachment in the first place. Bill Clinton's blow job from a consenting adult who was dragged into the process against her will by a sneaky scumbag GOP loyalist taping phone calls? Please. Just wait until this criminal version of the GOP gains control of the House again and there's a Democratic president. See what happens then. The real problem is that the Constitution is more and more like a relic with each passing day, yet it was written in quicksand. Every other major country can amend their constitutions with greater ease as is needed. Not us. The founders never envisioned the development of political parties or the extreme partisanship and polarization that exists today. And it's not their fault. Who the hell can see 200, 300 years into the future? The Constitution itself was written by candlelight late into nights because electricity hadn't been invented then. We're governed by rules created by people who never rode in an automobile and never logged onto the web. They never ate KFC and instead, had to catch and kill their own chickens to have a chicken dinner.

Edgy MD Feb 11 2021 11:06 AM Re: Politics 2021

Please don't turn this into a conversation with yourself. All legislative actions are wishful thinking until they transpire. You are also arguing against statements I haven't made.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 11 2021 11:18 AM Re: Politics 2021

So what?

Benjamin Grimm Feb 11 2021 11:43 AM Re: Politics 2021

I think the founders would have really liked KFC.

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2021 05:16 AM Re: Politics 2021

Yes, goes well with chicken. https://products3.imgix.drizly.com/ci-founders-all-day-ipa-52f1faf96c6817c7.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fm=jpg&h=240&q=20>

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2021 06:44 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: I agree that co-conspirators in the jury is an entirely inappropriate situation. It makes an unbiased verdict impossible. I don't think it necessarily follows, however, that it makes a guilty verdict impossible. Yeah, about that..... https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Et-3TimVcAYTZ9b?format=jpg&name=small>

Edgy MD Feb 12 2021 06:56 AM Re: Politics 2021

Yes, I know that. It's certainly unsurprising, though, no?

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2021 08:29 AM Re: Politics 2021

No, not surprising at all. https://images.dailykos.com/images/916554/large/148522234_10157965586368848_8559074459722874768_n.jpg?1613106250>

MFS62 Feb 12 2021 10:19 AM Re: Politics 2021

So I had this idea, though its chances of working are slim to none. It would clarify the machinations for the public audience. The Constitution gives the Senate the 'sole power to try impeachments,' and requires that senators 'be on oath or affirmation' while sitting for that purpose. The oath is to "do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws," while sitting for an impeachment trial. For this reason, Senators are technically required to act as an impartial juror. Three senators met with Trump's legal team last night. Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Ted Cruz of Texas, and Mike Lee of Utah have disqualified themselves as partial to one party. If the Senate put it to a vote, they could reduce the number it will take to convict to sixty-four. Impartial also means participating to the fullest extent. Seventeen senators were MIA for yesterday's session. Dismissing them would take the number to convict to fifty-two. But I'm not a lawyer. I'm a dreamer. Later

Lefty Specialist Feb 12 2021 12:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

Impartial also means participating to the fullest extent. Um, no. It just means that the case will be judged fairly and without bias on the merits. Now of course Republicans have no intention of doing that. Let them vote it down. But Democrats need to make them own it, which is something Democrats really suck at doing. Otherwise they'll get away with attacking democracy, just like Trump.

kcmets Feb 12 2021 12:38 PM Re: Politics 2021

=LWFS post_id=55954 time=1613020215 user_id=84]Also, for what it's worth, I liked ---- AND Hollywood Shuffle.

Winky

Dinky

Dog

Edgy MD Feb 13 2021 10:18 AM Re: Politics 2021

On the vote to call witnesses, Senator Graham changed his vote to AYE mid-vote.

MFS62 Feb 13 2021 10:28 AM Re: Politics 2021

And Moscow Mitch has told his fellow Republicans, via email, that he will vote to acquit. I guess the leash around his neck fit. Later

Edgy MD Feb 13 2021 10:36 AM Re: Politics 2021

Senator Cruz threatening to call witnesses. Please!

Edgy MD Feb 13 2021 10:53 AM Re: Politics 2021

They instead stipulate to allow Congresswoman Beutler's statement into evidence. Boooooooo!

MFS62 Feb 13 2021 10:58 AM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: Senator Cruz threatening to call witnesses. I want to see the Republican Congress people who were caught in the Capitol asked how they felt that day. I want to see the rioters who have been caught confirm that was tRump who told them to come to DC that day and then attack the Capitol and search for their targets (including the VP) I want Mike Pence asked how he felt that day. I want Tommy Tuberville to say how he informed tRump that Pence was on the move before the tweet to the rioters to get the VP. I want Kevin McCarthy to tell how he called for help during the riots and tRump blew him off. I can't imagine any person who personally witnessed or was involved in those events can hurt the prosecution's case. Later

Willets Point Feb 13 2021 11:14 AM Re: Politics 2021

The Vichy Democrats cave to fascism. Expect the GOP to sweep 2022 elections and impeach and remove Biden & Harris. Democracy is dead and it was the useless piece of shit Democratic Party collusionists who pulled the trigger..

batmagadanleadoff Feb 13 2021 11:24 AM Re: Politics 2021

Willets Point wrote: The Vichy Democrats cave to fascism. Expect the GOP to sweep 2022 elections and impeach and remove Biden & Harris. Democracy is dead and it was the useless piece of shit Democratic Party collusionists who pulled the trigger.. What did I miss? What happened?

Willets Point Feb 13 2021 11:26 AM Re: Politics 2021

They won a vote to call witnesses, and then caved to to the GOP and decided not to call witnesses. The trial is over. Now they'll just vote to acquit. Then the Senate goes on vacation. Bipartisanship at its worst.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 13 2021 11:29 AM Re: Politics 2021

Willets Point wrote: They won a vote to call witnesses, and then caved to to the GOP and decided not to call witnesses. The trial is over. Now they'll just vote to acquit. Then the Senate goes on vacation. Bipartisanship at its worst. What was the vote count?

batmagadanleadoff Feb 13 2021 11:37 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: And Mitch McConnell is supposedly happy about [impeaching Trump] because it'll clean the Trump stink off the Republican party (As if.) It'll be real news when Mitch McConnell says that he'll vote to convict Trump in an impeachment trial, which he hasn't, yet. So when it came time to announce his intent, Mitch said he'd vote to acquit Trump. He also voted that the Senate doesn't even have the Constitutional right to hold this impeachment trial. I am shocked. Shocked, I say. Shocked. I guess Mitch is thinking that he might want to run again in six years, when he'll be 84 and that Trump will still be running the GOP.

Willets Point Feb 13 2021 01:29 PM Re: Politics 2021

They haven't voted yet, but that's all that's left.

Edgy MD Feb 13 2021 02:06 PM Re: Politics 2021

And the vote is 57-43, leading to the horrible ex-president's acquittal. The courts can have at him, as Congress has forsaken their duty. I have trouble seeing why those seven Republican senators don't leave the party tomorrow. And by "tomorrow," I mean five years ago.

Lefty Specialist Feb 13 2021 02:19 PM Re: Politics 2021

Seven Republicans was about the max you could have gotten. Calling witnesses wouldn't have changed that number by much. The fix was always in. Let's get COVID relief passed, guys. Let the DA's and AG's in Fulton County, Manhattan and New York State go to work on him and his family.

Edgy MD Feb 13 2021 02:47 PM Re: Politics 2021

Calling witness would have mattered whether or not it swung the vote.

Willets Point Feb 13 2021 03:19 PM Re: Politics 2021

Edgy MD wrote: Calling witness would have mattered whether or not it swung the vote. Yep, the Dems had them on the ropes, scared that their collusion in systems of violent white supremacy would be exposed to the world, but they threw it away for promises of bipartisanship. Like Charlie Brown trying to kick the football, they always fall on their ass.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 13 2021 03:29 PM Re: Politics 2021

Willets Point wrote: Yep, the Dems had them on the ropes, scared that their collusion in systems of violent white supremacy would be exposed to the world, but they threw it away for promises of bipartisanship. Bipartisanship what? Bipartisanship if the Dems pass a tax cut for the super-rich?

Willets Point Feb 13 2021 04:43 PM Re: Politics 2021

Exactly. They'll get nothing for it. Again.

ashie62 Feb 13 2021 04:45 PM Re: Politics 2021

We can move on to covid relief now.

Willets Point Feb 13 2021 04:50 PM Re: Politics 2021

Top priority is killing the filibuster. No legislation will pass otherwise.

Lefty Specialist Feb 13 2021 05:32 PM Re: Politics 2021

Willets Point wrote: Top priority is killing the filibuster. No legislation will pass otherwise. Legislation affecting the budget will pass with reconciliation. Biden needs to promise to pave West Virginia with gold to get Manchin's filibuster vote.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 14 2021 06:04 AM Re: Politics 2021

Ultimately, Donald Trump Beat the System. Again. I'm not interested in the verdict of history. I want a perp walk, not the march of time. By Charles P. Pierce Feb 13, 2021 Let me dispense right at the beginning that the verdict of history doesn't interest me in the least. First of all, Americans have the attention span of fruit flies and, to far too many of them, history is whatever came in over their iPhones 10 minutes ago. Second, I am now of a sufficient age that it's even odds that I won't be around when the ultimate verdict of history is handed down. So, on Saturday, when I saw El Caudillo del Mar-a-Lago skate one more time on his unfitness for office and his rank deficiencies as a human being, all the flowery talk about the verdict of history was no consolation. I want a perp walk, not the march of time. Leg irons, not talk of legacies. There is nobody for whom I am rooting louder than I am for Fani Willis, the district attorney of Fulton County who gives every indication that she plans to haul the vulgar talking yam into a local courthouse and, if baby Jeebus is still my amigo, stick him in prison blues and dump him into a holding cell that has a leaky ceiling. Well, it's a lovely thought, anyway. The system didn't work Saturday and no ex post facto mudslide of inanity from Mitch McConnell can obscure the fact that the system was completely incapable of reining in, coping with, and ultimately punishing one of the grossly incompetent authoritarians ever to attain high political office. As the past four years have demonstrated almost daily, the system is rotted clean through in some very important areas, and it didn't take much strength for the former president* simply to knock the supports out from under them. And, on Saturday, as this latest burlesque came to an end, we saw the final proof that almost nobody is really interested in shoring things up in case a more competent oligarch buys himself an administration down the line. To everyone's surprise, just as things were starting up, the House managers won a vote to call witnesses. This was in reaction to news that broke on Friday night of a witness to a conversation from January 6 in which the former president* and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy had a screaming match about how the former president* was leaving members of Congress to die at the hands of his mob. So the House managers went for witnesses and won a majority of the Senate over to their side. At which point, the Senate Democrats folded like a $15 silk suit. During a long recess after the vote on witnesses, the senators all got together and, as the minutes went by, the unmistakable aroma of chickenshit began to waft north from Washington. Gifted with a golden anchor to hang around the neck of their political opponents, the Senate Democrats opted instead to hit themselves in the head with it. They agreed simply to admit into evidence the written statement of Rep. Jaime Herrara Beutler, a congresswoman from Washington state who'd been a witness to the McCarthy-Yam screamfest. This, they insisted, was a famous victory, in that the defense agreed that conversation had happened and that, therefore, it had been proven that the former president* had been the reckless, putting the life of Vice President Mike Pence at risk. Of course, the very first thing that defense attorney Michael van der Veen said in his closing argument was that the president* and his team had conceded no such thing. Oy. And there was no good reason for it. Calling witnesses were not going to delay other policy initiatives; the COVID relief package is still in the House and likely will not emerge until at least February 22, and the Senate itself is in recess next week. The Senate literally has nothing better to do for eight full days. Thus did the one unpredictable moment of the week go a'glimmering. (There could have been another one. Senator Willard Romney, it was reported, was at one point ready to throw hands at Senator Ron Johnson. My money was on Mitt. It's hard to bet against a guy who's got 70-odd years of clean living to fall back on.) Ultimately, the former president beat the system. Again. Even Mitch McConnell admitted in his postmortem remarks that the former president* was guilty as hell of everything with which the House managers charged him. Fani Wills, a nation turns its lonely eyes to you. https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a35498904/trump-impeachment-trial-verdict-of-history/

TransMonk Feb 14 2021 12:37 PM Re: Politics 2021

It seems Dems continue to play to some sort of "middle" that I don't believe exists in any engaged way anymore...certainly not in bigger numbers than the left that wants them to fight harder. The Republican Party is irredeemable as it is currently constituted. Dems should take advantage of the broken Repubs and blow them out of the water. They have every tool to do this. Rs would not think twice about putting their boot on the throat. Dems would be justified in my mind as they have the majority of the voters behind them...something the Repubs struggle to do.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 14 2021 01:12 PM Re: Politics 2021

What every tool to do this? They can't spare a single solitary vote in the Senate and they have two senators who are on the record as unwilling to kill the filibuster? Even if true, why the fuck would those two publicly announce this and take away what little tiny leverage the Dems have in the Senate?

TransMonk Feb 14 2021 01:38 PM Re: Politics 2021

Killing the filibuster is the tool. Chuck and Joe have to lean harder on Manchin and Sinema. If they can't be swayed then nothing matters.

ashie62 Feb 14 2021 02:59 PM Re: Politics 2021

=TransMonk post_id=56136 time=1613335107 user_id=71] Killing the filibuster is the tool. Chuck and Joe have to lean harder on Manchin and Sinema. If they can't be swayed then nothing matters.

Do you mean little gets passed for Biden?

Lefty Specialist Feb 14 2021 03:47 PM Re: Politics 2021

=TransMonk post_id=56136 time=1613335107 user_id=71] Killing the filibuster is the tool. Chuck and Joe have to lean harder on Manchin and Sinema. If they can't be swayed then nothing matters.

Yup. And if they don't pass anything because they won't give up the filibuster, they'll lose the House and Senate in 2022. So it's an existential crisis. Ironically, getting rid of the filibuster gives these two a LOT more power, as they can make or break legislation. But as I said before, the filibuster is a great way to hide from votes you don't want to take.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 14 2021 04:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

If they kill the filibuster, they can bring DC into the US. And those extra two new Dem senators will go a long way towards helping the Dems hold the Senate in 2022. And if Manchin and Sinema won't vote for PR statehood, those new DC senators probably will. To tell you the truth, I'm not so sure Manchin and Synema would vote for DC statehood. As things stand, Manchin and Sinema have the whole Dem party by the balls. Two extra very new and very liberal senaotors would dilute Manchin and Sinema's hold.

TransMonk Feb 14 2021 04:29 PM Re: Politics 2021

=ashie62 post_id=56137 time=1613339997 user_id=90] =TransMonk post_id=56136 time=1613335107 user_id=71] Killing the filibuster is the tool. Chuck and Joe have to lean harder on Manchin and Sinema. If they can't be swayed then nothing matters.

Do you mean little gets passed for Biden?

I don't really care about Biden. I gave him money and campaigned hard for him, but he wasn't one of my top five choices for president. He's not even a month into his term and he's already a great president simply for not being Donald Trump. I know it's a low bar, but it's the bar we had. He'll even us out from the pandemic the best he can (which Trump would not have been able to do) and maybe he'll save some USA face around the world, but otherwise I voted for him to get rid of Trump and for few other reasons.



What I do care about is not giving complete power back to the party that ran our country into the ground by representing a loud but stupid minority of people while enabling that utter piece of trash that just moved out of The White House. The Senate needs to be reformed so that it is NOT a chamber of minority rule. I don't believe there has been a Republican majority in the Senate this century where they actually represented a MAJORITY of the people casting votes for Senators. Couple that with three of the last four R presidential wins losing the popular vote and it makes it hard for me to say we live in a well-oiled democracy.



Dems had to work hard to win the 2020 elections even with gerrymandering and voter suppression. The fact that they picked up both of those Senate seats is a testament to that. Now that they have gained the slimmest of majorities in the Senate, they need to work just as hard to hold it. Eliminating the filibuster, adding DC (and other territories) as states and passing a robust voting rights bill to make it harder for Repubs to restrict voting and would go a long way toward helping the majority of the voters' choices actually be the majority of policymakers.



But if they can't kill the filibuster, then the hard work that happened last cycle won't matter much and the faucet of bullshit will get turned back on in two years.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 14 2021 11:07 PM Re: Politics 2021

The whole process stinks, beginning with the fact that a simple House majority can pass articles of impeachment in the first place.... Just wait until this criminal version of the GOP gains control of the House again and there's a Democratic president. See what happens then. Silly me. I left out Vice Presidents. How could I have underestimated Republican scumbaggery when I know that they're capable of anything? And ... "action"! Lindsey Graham Is Now Threatening To Impeach Kamala Harris Excerpt: Graham said on Fox News Sunday, “The trial record was a complete joke. Hearsay on top of hearsay, and we've opened Pandora's Box for future presidents and if you use this model, I don't know how Kamala Harris doesn't get impeached if Republicans take over the House because she actually bailed out rioters, and more of the rioters went back to the streets and broke somebody's head open, so we've opened Pandora's Box here, and I'm sad for the country.” https://www.politicususa.com/2021/02/14/lindsey-graham-impeach-kamala-harris.html

ashie62 Feb 17 2021 12:13 PM Re: Politics 2021

Na Na- Na Na Na Na-Na Na Goodbye. [YOUTUBE]https://youtu.be/GnizDJxzlv0[/YOUTUBE]

Edgy MD Feb 17 2021 01:26 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lindsay Graham threatens a lot of things. His guns are empty. Among other things, he doesn't have the power to initiate an impeachment proceeding.

Benjamin Grimm Feb 17 2021 01:59 PM Re: Politics 2021

It would really be a smart move for Republicans to further alienate women voters by quickly moving to impeach the first female Vice President.

whippoorwill Feb 17 2021 04:45 PM Re: Politics 2021

Yes Indeed

Edgy MD Feb 17 2021 09:25 PM Re: Politics 2021

It was apparently Senator Christopher Coons (D-Del.) who convinced the impeachment managers that introducing witnesses would cost more Republican votes than it would gain.

ashie62 Feb 18 2021 06:59 AM Re: Politics 2021

Adding witnesses to the trial would have provided Trump with "media oxygen."

Johnny Lunchbucket Feb 18 2021 07:10 AM Re: Politics 2021

What coons said was that mcconnell and the gang weren't likely to be swayed as long as they held to the notion that the procedure was unconstitutional. A copout for sure. The same charges before an impartial jury is a slam dunk

TransMonk Feb 18 2021 08:31 AM Re: Politics 2021

Ted Cruz leaves a powerless and abnormally cold Texas yesterday for a family vacation in Cancun, showing his leadership skills by abandoning his constituents as they suffer. Repubs seem to be really bad at optics (but Repub voters mostly don't seem to care). Due to the backlash on Twitter and the fact that Beto is calling seniors to get them meals and warm places to stay in the senator's absence, it looks like Ted is on his way back to Texas today after a 12 hour vacation. #FlyinTed #CancunCruz

MFS62 Feb 18 2021 08:38 AM Re: Politics 2021

I hope he was down there long enough for Montezuma to get revenge. Later

Edgy MD Feb 18 2021 12:12 PM Re: Politics 2021

Senator Cruz has always been loyal to the Cancunstitution.

Edgy MD Feb 18 2021 07:57 PM Re: Politics 2021

I think, now that he's home, we'll soon be forced to acknowledge that Ted Cruz being out of the country during a natural disaster in his state is probably the best thing he could do to help.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 19 2021 02:53 PM Re: Politics 2021

Omigod. Biden can't even get his first-choice nominees confirmed. So what are the chances the Dems can accomplish anything once they've used up the reconciliation process? Manchin says he'll vote against Biden OMB nominee Neera Tanden Excerpt: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday he will vote against Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden's nominee for the director of the Office of Management and Budget, which will make it difficult for her to be confirmed given Republican resistance to her nomination. In a brief statement, the moderate West Virginia Democrat said that Tanden's comments on Twitter about Republican colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, had led him to doubt she was the right fit. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/19/politics/joe-manchin-neera-tanden-confirmation-biden/index.html

MFS62 Feb 19 2021 02:58 PM Re: Politics 2021

To paraphrase W.C. Fields, anyone who hates kids and Mitch McConnell can't be all bad. Later

TransMonk Feb 19 2021 04:49 PM Re: Politics 2021

=batmagadanleadoff post_id=56553 time=1613771596 user_id=68] Omigod. Biden can't even get his first-choice nominees confirmed. So what are the chances the Dems can accomplish anything once they've used up the reconciliation process?

Worrisome for sure. But they haven't voted yet. Maybe Ben Sasse really likes Neera.

Marshmallowmilkshake Feb 19 2021 05:38 PM Re: Politics 2021

The situation with Andrew Cuomo is getting progressively worse. His own party is starting to come after him. I don't know if I see him surviving this. I don't know if he should.

Lefty Specialist Feb 19 2021 05:44 PM Re: Politics 2021

Omigod. Biden can't even get his first-choice nominees confirmed. So what are the chances the Dems can accomplish anything once they've used up the reconciliation process? Manchin says he'll vote against Biden OMB nominee Neera Tanden Excerpt: Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin announced Friday he will vote against Neera Tanden, President Joe Biden's nominee for the director of the Office of Management and Budget, which will make it difficult for her to be confirmed given Republican resistance to her nomination. In a brief statement, the moderate West Virginia Democrat said that Tanden's comments on Twitter about Republican colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, had led him to doubt she was the right fit. https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/19/politics/joe-manchin-neera-tanden-confirmation-biden/index.html Well, she has a record a mile long of snarky Twitter comments about half the politicians in Washington. She shouldn't have been nominated in the first place. Manchin was against her, but Bernie Sanders despised her as well, which gives you an idea of the scope of her problem.

Frayed Knot Feb 19 2021 07:58 PM Re: Politics 2021

=Marshmallowmilkshake post_id=56562 time=1613781539 user_id=119] The situation with Andrew Cuomo is getting progressively worse. His own party is starting to come after him. I don't know if I see him surviving this. I don't know if he should.

Quite a change, eh, from the near coronation of a few months back.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 20 2021 09:56 AM Re: Politics 2021

Not sure if this a Steve Bannon hope or a prediction, but Bannon at a GOP event in Boston, tells of Trump running for Congress in 2022, displacing Pelosi as the next Speaker of the House and then impeaching Biden for fraudulently stealing the 2020 presidential election from Trump. Sounds crazy at first, but if Trump really wants to make this happen, he could and the odds of this happening are very plausible, I would think. The only real obstacle to this scenario, as I see it, is whether the GOP as a whole, can retake the House majority in 2022. And the odds are good what with mid-terms favoring the party not in control, all these voter suppression laws in the pipeline and the usual Democratic incompetence where they control all branches but won't be able to pass any Voting Rights legislation because they're the Dems. What'll probably happen is that Breyer won't retire but instead, he'll get run over by a Mack truck the day after the next GOP controlled Senate is sworn in in 2023 and we'll have another Merrick Garland situation with the GOP eventually filling Breyer's seat, too. And then the Dems will once again, be scaredy cat scared to pack the courts because they'll be scared of what the GOP does in retaliation as if blockading Scalia and Breyer's seats and filling RBG's seat a few months before a presidential election after inventing a rule preventing that procedure in light of Scalia's death isn't enough grounds. https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/02/14/steve-bannon-speaks-to-boston-republicans-trump-will-lead-us-in-2024/

Fman99 Feb 20 2021 01:04 PM Re: Politics 2021

Not sure if this a Steve Bannon hope or a prediction, but Bannon at a GOP event in Boston, tells of Trump running for Congress in 2022, displacing Pelosi as the next Speaker of the House and then impeaching Biden for fraudulently stealing the 2020 presidential election from Trump. Sounds crazy at first, but if Trump really wants to make this happen, he could and the odds of this happening are very plausible, I would think. The only real obstacle to this scenario, as I see it, is whether the GOP as a whole, can retake the House majority in 2022. And the odds are good what with mid-terms favoring the party not in control, all these voter suppression laws in the pipeline and the usual Democratic incompetence where they control all branches but won't be able to pass any Voting Rights legislation because they're the Dems. What'll probably happen is that Breyer won't retire but instead, he'll get run over by a Mack truck the day after the next GOP controlled Senate is sworn in in 2023 and we'll have another Merrick Garland situation with the GOP eventually filling Breyer's seat, too. And then the Dems will once again, be scaredy cat scared to pack the courts because they'll be scared of what the GOP does in retaliation as if blockading Scalia and Breyer's seats and filling RBG's seat a few months before a presidential election after inventing a rule preventing that procedure in light of Scalia's death isn't enough grounds. https://www.bostonherald.com/2021/02/14/steve-bannon-speaks-to-boston-republicans-trump-will-lead-us-in-2024/ Luckily for all of us Steve Bannon has a habit of talking out of his anus. I don't see this happening -- he'd never subject himself for a position as comparatively insignificant as Congress. Not after living at the White House and playing the President on Fox for four years.

Edgy MD Feb 20 2021 01:30 PM Re: Politics 2021

Hey, if he impeaches both the president and the vice president, maybe being speaker will be his platform for a return to the presidency. I mean, I don't see that happening, but who knows what kind of scenario Steve Bannon is whispering in people's ears? In an environment where everybody is seeking instant gratification, anybody who looks at least a little bit down the road is an incredibly valuable commodity.

whippoorwill Feb 20 2021 05:06 PM Re: Politics 2021

Personally I don't give a rats ass anymore now that Trump is gone

ashie62 Feb 20 2021 05:51 PM Re: Politics 2021

Just what is a 'rats ass"

whippoorwill Feb 20 2021 06:22 PM Re: Politics 2021

It's very similar to Trumps face

Willets Point Feb 20 2021 06:34 PM Re: Politics 2021

And what Congressional district is Trump expected to win? The one in New York that's been held by the Democratic party since 1961 with election tallies as high as 90% Democratic in some elections? Or the one in Palm Beach where Donald Trump was clobbered by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in back-to-back elections?

batmagadanleadoff Feb 20 2021 07:07 PM Re: Politics 2021

I thought of that. I guess Trump is supposed to have the resources to establish residence in a winnable district. Because he ain't winning in Palm Beach.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 21 2021 06:33 AM Re: Politics 2021

Willets Point wrote: And what Congressional district is Trump expected to win? The one in New York that's been held by the Democratic party since 1961 with election tallies as high as 90% Democratic in some elections? Or the one in Palm Beach where Donald Trump was clobbered by Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden in back-to-back elections? Another flaw in Bannon's "idea" is that it doesn't need Trump as Speaker of the House to be executed. Biden's impeachment is reasonably likely so long as the GOP retakes the House in 2022, especially with Trump looming over the party and whipping votes from Mar-a-Lago.

Lefty Specialist Feb 21 2021 05:08 PM Re: Politics 2021

Just FYI, the Speaker of the House is not required to be a member of Congress. It always has been, but it's not a Constitutional requirement. So Trump could just march in as a private citizen. Far-fetched, but Republicans are deep into the crazy these days.

Edgy MD Feb 21 2021 08:24 PM Re: Politics 2021

They needs control first.

batmagadanleadoff Feb 21 2021 09:28 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Just FYI, the Speaker of the House is not required to be a member of Congress. It always has been, but it's not a Constitutional requirement. So Trump could just march in as a private citizen. Far-fetched, but Republicans are deep into the crazy these days. Not only that, but Barron Trump could theoretically be the next Speaker of the House. There's not even an age limit for the position.

Lefty Specialist Feb 22 2021 11:25 AM Re: Politics 2021

Biden: Days in office:32 Rounds of Golf: 0

kcmets Feb 22 2021 11:29 AM Re: Politics 2021

Gasoline here is up around 15% since Inauguration Day.

Lefty Specialist Feb 22 2021 11:29 AM Re: Politics 2021

Cruz, Hawley, Cornyn Suddenly Very Worried About DOJ Politicization No. Seriously. Stop laughing.

MFS62 Feb 22 2021 11:56 AM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: Cruz, Hawley, Cornyn Suddenly Very Worried About DOJ Politicization No. Seriously. Stop laughing. Y'mean, they might possibly start prosecuting real criminals? Horrors! Later

Benjamin Grimm Feb 23 2021 11:00 AM Re: Politics 2021

. Ted Cruz in Hot Water https://images.theweek.com/sites/default/files/sk022121dapr.jpg?resize=807x807>

Fman99 Feb 28 2021 03:47 AM Re: Politics 2021

I need to wean myself off of the daily news cycle. I realized I spent much of the last four years over invested emotionally in the ups and downs of the last "administration." With some hope that they'd self destruct, or that the mechanisms I believed to be in place to protect us from that kind of rule would kick in to extract those poisonous parts of the government. Like an abscessed tooth, if you will. Now I'm reading all of these post-election analyses and predictions and doomsayers on the new "kingmaker" influence that he-who-shall-not-be-named would have himself believed to be, or will announce for himself in front of his Mooby statue today. And it hit me in the car, driving around yesterday, listening to CNN radio on XM. That I can ignore him. He's not an office holder. And there isn't any election that he would even pretend to care about for 21 months. Time for a respite.

Lefty Specialist Feb 28 2021 02:25 PM Re: Politics 2021

Not having to listen to the latest gas eruption from the Insurrectionist in Chief was been a blessing. Things are quieter now. Ted Cruz's trip to Cancun would have been on page A18 if not for the fact that Twitter silenced Trump. Of course, he'll be preaching to the adoring masses at CPAC tonight as they worship their Golden Idol. https://images.jpost.com/image/upload/f_auto,fl_lossy/t_JD_ArticleMainImageFaceDetect/472066>

Double Switch Feb 28 2021 03:22 PM Re: Politics 2021

I want to see it roll down a ramp.

MFS62 Feb 28 2021 04:55 PM Re: Politics 2021

Did they borrow it from his bedroom? Later

whippoorwill Feb 28 2021 05:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

I am NOT looking it up because then I'll be plagued with stories about it...what the heck is CPAC?

Lefty Specialist Feb 28 2021 05:49 PM Re: Politics 2021

It's a black hole where Trump's gravity is so strong no stupidity is allowed to escape. The official name is the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC for short. It's normally held in Washington DC, but this year it's being held in Orlando because DC has sensible COVID regulations and in Orlando, they have the freeeeeeedom to superspread the virus.

Edgy MD Feb 28 2021 07:25 PM Re: Politics 2021

I've been to CPAC, sort of, in that an organization that I was a part of would frequently meet the same week in the same hotel, with our exhibit space overlapping. The attendees are frequently young, white, and dweebish, but anybody with a hope of a National profile in Republican politics has to appear there. if it was ever about Conservative philosophy exchanges, it's been seriously dumbed down. The ex-president generally declined to attend before he became a candidate, but has since learned it's a pretty safe space to act like a no-account childish jerk. Senator Cruz spoke on Friday and that was sure what he was slinging. I think it was there that he first got away with the bizarre gesture that you could express patriotism by hugging a flagpole. I think it's also where he unknowingly appeared alongside a presidential seal that had been doctored to suggest he was a puppet of Russia.

Lefty Specialist Mar 01 2021 04:58 AM Re: Politics 2021

[FIMG][/FIMG] Edgy MD wrote: I've been to CPAC, sort of, in that an organization that I was a part of would frequently meet the same week in the same hotel, with our exhibit space overlapping. The attendees are frequently young, white, and dweebish, but anybody with a hope of a National profile in Republican politics has to appear there. if it was ever about Conservative philosophy exchanges, it's been seriously dumbed down. The ex-president generally declined to attend before he became a candidate, but has since learned it's a pretty safe space to act like a no-account childish jerk. Senator Cruz spoke on Friday and that was sure what he was slinging. I think it was there that he first got away with the bizarre gesture that you could express patriotism by hugging a flagpole. I think it's also where he unknowingly appeared alongside a presidential seal that had been doctored to suggest he was a puppet of Russia. Also where a genius troll managed to hand out hundreds of red, white & blue Russian flags with Trump's name for people to wave when he came on stage. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5cO5EMWUAAclOo?format=jpg&name=360x360>https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5cO5EMWgAAvEO_?format=jpg&name=small>

Lefty Specialist Mar 01 2021 05:13 AM Re: Politics 2021

Here is an amazing summary of every case, both civil and criminal, pending against Trump. Fascinating read. https://www.justsecurity.org/75032/litigation-tracker-pending-criminal-and-civil-cases-against-donald-trump/

batmagadanleadoff Mar 01 2021 08:47 AM Re: Politics 2021

Jeez, was Trump's CPAC speech absolutely terrifying. What a vile piece of garbage he is, as if sentient people don't already know: Trump unleashes new threat to American democracy Excerpt: Donald Trump has no remorse about the deadly violence he incited with his lies about a stolen election in his uprising against the US Congress. This much was clear when the ex-President put the Republican Party on notice on Sunday that he intends to use his hold on its grassroots to try to suppress the vote heading into the presidential election in 2024, in which he hinted he might run. In his first public remarks since leaving the White House, he also dangerously lashed out at Supreme Court justices for failing to intervene to throw him the election he clearly lost to President Joe Biden. "They should be ashamed of themselves for what they've done to our country ... the Supreme Court didn't have the guts or the courage to do anything about it," Trump fumed in an authoritarian speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in Orlando, Florida, referring to false fraud claims thrown out by multiple judges. [***] As local and state Republicans seek to narrow access to the polls, Trump, who tried to force officials in Georgia to steal the election for him, called on the GOP to outlaw mail-in and early voting to ensure "honest elections" and made racially motivated insinuations about irregularities in Detroit and Philadelphia. He demanded citizen tests for ballot access, said voting should only take place on Election Day and called for independent judges to be barred from adjudicating election disputes. "The Republicans have to do something about it. They better do something about it," he said The ex-President's warning could be so damaging because he is effectively making his support for GOP candidates in the 2022 midterms contingent on them backing his false claims of a corrupt election in 2020. And in the shorter term, he is seeding even more suspicion about his exit from the White House with conservative voters, while providing more potential motivation for extremist groups who support him. https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/01/politics/cpac-2021-trump-speech-american-democracy/index.html

MFS62 Mar 01 2021 11:49 AM Re: Politics 2021

The CEO of Goya Foods' speech at CPAC is sparking a boycott: (The Guardian via Yahoo) https://www.yahoo.com/news/calls-goya-foods-grow-ceo-140330769.html Calls for a boycott of Goya beans, chickpeas and other foodstuffs have grown louder after chief executive Robert Unanue made a series of false claims about the presidential election in a speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, in Florida on Sunday. Later

batmagadanleadoff Mar 01 2021 11:55 AM Re: Politics 2021

I'm torn here. That GOYA CEO is scumbag liar and a vile Trump supporter. (Repetitive). But I love Goya chickpeas and I almost always have a few cans in the house. It's a staple, over here.

Lefty Specialist Mar 01 2021 12:07 PM Re: Politics 2021

We loved Goya too. But we found substitutes that were less Trumpy.

whippoorwill Mar 01 2021 12:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lol I actually stuck my tongue out at the Goya aisle at Weises.

Edgy MD Mar 01 2021 12:11 PM Re: Politics 2021

Plenty of solid garbanzo alternatives, organic and non-organic. Epicurious can walk you through your options.

whippoorwill Mar 01 2021 12:11 PM Re: Politics 2021

Lefty Specialist wrote: It's a black hole where Trump's gravity is so strong no stupidity is allowed to escape. The official name is the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC for short. It's normally held in Washington DC, but this year it's being held in Orlando because DC has sensible COVID regulations and in Orlando, they have the freeeeeeedom to superspread the virus. Thanks! In other words , something boring

Johnny Lunchbucket Mar 01 2021 01:06 PM Re: Politics 2021

The Goya thing is incredible. We buy a fair amount of their shit as its often priced right relative to brand name shit but it's one of those incremental things too, and simple enough to pivot to La Fe and other Hispanic brands where we can. It's only a few pennies

Edgy MD Mar 01 2021 01:10 PM Re: Politics 2021

Are you getting an industry story out of the Goya nuttery? Are any markets cutting them loose?