US Politics: the Moore things change...

[Martell Spy]

They must be trolling us. The Trump Admin wants Democrats to work to work on infrastructure with them. After forcing that huge pile of shit tax cut on us. 

Democrats cool to Trump’s infrastructure pitch
Officials likely have their work cut out for them in wooing Democrats after a year of partisan bickering over nominations, health care and taxes.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/14/democrats-trump-infrastructure-pitch-223057

[Morpheus]

Last time they were supposed to talk infrastructure, Trump got derailed ranting about how swell white supremacists are

[Mexal]

1 hour ago, Morpheus said:

Did anyone see any of Rosenstein's grilling by the House committee yesterday? Republicans be crazy. They aren't just clearing a runway for Trump to fire Mueller, they are out there waving flares. Raging asshole, Jim Jordan was frothing and popping forehead veins like a mini Hannity. Rosenstein actually looked like he did a pretty good job standing his ground in defending Mueller, far less of mealy mouthed, lying conspirator than the actual AG; obviously still part of Trump's corrupt DoJ, but he was firm in denying that there was cause for Mueller's termination.

Yea, I watched the first few hours of it. Jordan and Gowdy were giving a closing argument rather than actually questioning him. They were pulling various pieces of disparate information to make a conspiracy of massive proportion, one where the FBI is complicit in attempting to take down Donald Trump and save Hillary Clinton. It's now at the point where Fox News is even today suggesting the FBI is like the KGB and should be shut down entirely. This is based on one out of context private message from Strzok, his involvement in both the Hillary email investigation and the Trump/Russia investigation and the GOPs dislike for what is happening in both. It was bad.

On the flip side, I thought Rosenstein handled the questioning well. The OIG is investigating Comey, Strzok, Hillary, etc and there will be a full report early next year. He also defended Mueller, defended his reputation and background, defended his investigation and claimed that everything Mueller has so far done has had a sound legal basis and there is no cause to suggest otherwise.

[Morpheus]

I always forget about Louie Gohmert and then I see him talk again and the thought that this bumbling cretin is an actual elected official blows my fucking mind.

[OldGimletEye]

The Trumpster ain't gonna save coal.

https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2017/december/coal-declining-due-economics-regulation

Quote

Cheaper alternative energies, not increased regulation, are the main factors driving the decline of U.S. coal consumption and production, according to a recent Economic Synopses essay.

 

[Inigima]

22 hours ago, Mexal said:

Curious what Rosenstein says about this today. Not a good look that the DOJ is conspiring with the WH to undermine an active investigation.

 

 

I'm late to this post, but, um. This makes me think that Jeff Sessions is, again, not recused as he has pledged.

[Mexal]

Washington Post just released a big article on how Trump has done nothing about Russia's interference. Worth a read.

Quote

Nearly a year into his presidency, Trump continues to reject the evidence that Russia waged an assault on a pillar of American democracy and supported his run for the White House.

The result is without obvious parallel in U.S. history, a situation in which the personal insecurities of the president — and his refusal to accept what even many in his administration regard as objective reality — have impaired the government’s response to a national security threat. The repercussions radiate across the government.

Rather than search for ways to deter Kremlin attacks or safeguard U.S. elections, Trump has waged his own campaign to discredit the case that Russia poses any threat and he has resisted or attempted to roll back efforts to hold Moscow to account.

His administration has moved to undo at least some of the sanctions the previous administration imposed on Russia for its election interference, exploring the return of two Russian compounds in the United States that President Barack Obama had seized — the measure that had most galled Moscow. Months later, when Congress moved to impose additional penalties on Moscow, Trump opposed the measures fiercely.

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Trump Tower in New York on Jan. 11. (Photo by Jabin Botsford; photo illustration by Nick Kirkpatrick/The Washington Post)

Trump has never convened a Cabinet-level meeting on Russian interference or what to do about it, administration officials said. Although the issue has been discussed at lower levels at the National Security Council, one former high-ranking Trump administration official said there is an unspoken understanding within the NSC that to raise the matter is to acknowledge its validity, which the president would see as an affront.

 

[Bonnot OG]

After mass J20 arrests, Maryland Police Public Affairs Specialist gave GotNews, an Alt-Right website linked to Richard Spencer and other neo-Nazis, a list of everyone that had been arrested. Totally not a green light from the State towards the Alt-Right for violence.

 

[Larry of the Lawn]

11 minutes ago, Sword of Doom said:

After mass J20 arrests, Maryland Police Public Affairs Specialist gave GotNews, an Alt-Right website linked to Richard Spencer and other neo-Nazis, a list of everyone that had been arrested. Totally not a green light from the State towards the Alt-Right for violence.

Isn't that stuff public record?  Did the Maryland Police do this proactively or was the info requested?

[Bonnot OG]

10 minutes ago, larrytheimp said:

Isn't that stuff public record?  Did the Maryland Police do this proactively or was the info requested?

Proactively by Rachel  Schaerr, who is a former news reporter and is now a Maryland Police Department spokeswoman / public affairs specialist.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

9 minutes ago, Sword of Doom said:

Proactively by Rachel  Schaerr, who is a former news reporter and is now a Maryland Police Department spokeswoman / public affairs specialist.

Interesting.  Do you have a link to a source saying this?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

14 hours ago, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Have any actually proposed legislation to make these changes?

Only all the time. Problem is the Republican Senate blocked everything when Democrats actually had power. This issues were better addressed by the Executive Branch and at the state level though. Only one party brags about how these problems benefit them though.

[Lany Freelove Cassandra]

12 hours ago, Kalbear said:

On that note, this guy - who said that those who lead 'good lives' should pay less for insurance, and that getting sick is part of leading a bad life - has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

By that logic, what kind of bad life was he living? Another self hater?  (sorry, I couldn't resist.)

[Fez]

13 hours ago, Roose Boltons Pet Leech said:

There's the caveat that Mississippi is even more racist racially polarised than Alabama. You've got more blacks to play with, but the whites are even more Republican.

I think the priority now ought to be Georgia. Large black population, the whites are less Republican than Alabama or Mississippi, and there's the Atlanta Metro. The state will, eventually, flip on demographics, but it needs help first.

Wyoming... perhaps. But I'd go after the Dakotas first. Unlike Wyoming, both of them have a history of electing Democrats to congress. 

On the other hand, Mississippi already has a Democrat elected to statewide office. Jim Hood has been the state attorney general since 2004 and still regularly wins elections by decent margins (in 2015 it was 55-45). From the little I know, there doesn't seem to be any secret sauce to him either; he just does a good job and voters keep him in office. So there still is some sort of path to victory in Mississippi. I agree that Georgia is probably a better target, but it is also a much more expensive target. A few million in Mississippi would go a long way.

I think the two best red state targets right now may be Oklahoma and Kansas, though perhaps only for state offices and not senators. Things have gone so poorly in both under all-GOP government that it seems like voters are finally ready to give Democrats another go (as evidenced by all the special election wins in Oklahoma and the 2016 primaries in Kansas where a bunch of Republicans got defeated from the left). 

[Mexal]

Another one done. As expected.

 

 

[Morpheus]

^ Republicans take the easy way out, no calls for resignation and they can choose a new candidate while he finishes his term.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

2 hours ago, Martell Spy said:

They must be trolling us. The Trump Admin wants Democrats to work to work on infrastructure with them. After forcing that huge pile of shit tax cut on us. 

Democrats cool to Trump’s infrastructure pitch
Officials likely have their work cut out for them in wooing Democrats after a year of partisan bickering over nominations, health care and taxes.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/12/14/democrats-trump-infrastructure-pitch-223057

Democrats should work with Republicans on infrastructure. And demand that the only way they’ll accept paying for it is by raising taxes on billionaires by 5%. Troll them right back.

2 hours ago, Mexal said:

Yea, I watched the first few hours of it. Jordan and Gowdy were giving a closing argument rather than actually questioning him. They were pulling various pieces of disparate information to make a conspiracy of massive proportion, one where the FBI is complicit in attempting to take down Donald Trump and save Hillary Clinton. It's now at the point where Fox News is even today suggesting the FBI is like the KGB and should be shut down entirely. This is based on one out of context private message from Strzok, his involvement in both the Hillary email investigation and the Trump/Russia investigation and the GOPs dislike for what is happening in both. It was bad.

On the flip side, I thought Rosenstein handled the questioning well. The OIG is investigating Comey, Strzok, Hillary, etc and there will be a full report early next year. He also defended Mueller, defended his reputation and background, defended his investigation and claimed that everything Mueller has so far done has had a sound legal basis and there is no cause to suggest otherwise.

Let’s never forget that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were being investigated by the FBI during the campaign. They only publicly screwed over Clinton, even though they could have destroyed Trump.

[Mexal]

1 minute ago, Tywin et al. said:

Let’s never forget that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were being investigated by the FBI during the campaign. They only publicly screwed over Clinton, even though they could have destroyed Trump.

That's what gets to me. Not only that but Trump's own public reasoning for firing Comey (outside of the whole Russia thing) was that he screwed over Clinton. 

4 minutes ago, Morpheus said:

^ Republicans take the easy way out, no calls for resignation and they can choose a new candidate while he finishes his term.

Not sure how it works. I think the filing period is over in Texas.

[Morpheus]

5 minutes ago, Mexal said:

That's what gets to me. Not only that but Trump's own public reasoning for firing Comey (outside of the whole Russia thing) was that he screwed over Clinton. 

Not sure how it works. I think the filing period is over in Texas.

Trump's reason for firing Comey changes weekly

Fartnhold- okay, not sure how 2018 works then , but considering their calls for Conyers to leave, Republicans are still going easy.

[Mexal]

1 minute ago, Morpheus said:

Trump's reason for firing Comey changes weekly

Fartnhold- okay, not sure how 2018 works then , but considering their calls for Conyers to leave, Republicans are still going easy.

Well yes. Republicans are hypocrites in literally everything. It doesn't matter.