US Politics - Hot takes from my cold dead hands

[DMC]

1 minute ago, Kalsandra said:

Thats fair, though for some of those things- like the criminal prosecutions of the bipartisan board - it doesn't require any action from the governor. 

Well sure but I'm not really clear what that means..who would be doing the prosecuting?  The AG right?  Who, again, is a Democrat that, again, needs to win next November.  This certainly highlights the importance of those elections, sure.

3 minutes ago, Fez said:

I think message voting from the left has the potential to do actual damage though. It can divide the party by convincing some of the base that the bill was bad, Democrats are sucking again, and so why bother voting?

That's one direction to look at it.  The other is that the squad voted no precisely because their base wanted them to and those potentially disaffected voters view them as the only ones standing up for them.

Their seats are only "safe" in the general.  AOC's seat obviously wasn't safe in the primary when she beat the Caucus Chair.  Bowman, Bush, and Pressley similarly defeated incumbents in the primary while Omar and Tlaib won open seats in very competitive primaries.  It's thus not surprising that their position-taking or "message voting" is tailored there.  

[Kalbear]

1 hour ago, sologdin said:

that article's a bit breathless: what is the actual statute that they have put forth? but the wisconsin rightwing is obviously out of its mind, that sheriff is an obvious tool, and their senator should be stripped of office. 

And yet nothing is going to happen to any of them and they'll continue to exercise the threat of violence in order to enact their policies, with the eventual goal being to have a multiheaded authority on what election results are. 

[Jaxom 1974]

1 hour ago, DMC said:

Not sure how they're going to become law with Tony Evers as governor.  Although he does have to beat Rebecca Kleefisch next November.

Defeat who now?  Seriously. I know I need to pay a little more attention, but there is something about politics in this state where there seems to be something about Wisconsin politicians that you have no idea who any of them really are...it feels shadowy.  Which is probably par for the course in a lot of state governments...

[IheartIheartTesla]

Did someone already post that Harris was acting President for 1hr 35 minutes while Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy under anesthesia?

Two things: I think this is some sort of history. Second, I need to do my first colonoscopy ever soon, and I didnt realize it is done under anesthesia. Is that what I need to expect?

[JGP]

3 minutes ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Second, I need to do my first colonoscopy ever soon, and I didnt realize it is done under anesthesia. Is that what I need to expect?

I have to get them every 5 years or so because my mom had cancer in her lower bowel. You don't generally get knocked out for it, but even so it's far from comfortable and it's recommended you don't drive afterward. 

[DMC]

Just now, Jaxom 1974 said:

Defeat who now? 

She was Walker's lieutenant governor for both terms and is the only serious GOP candidate that's declared for the race - thus far.  Does that mean she'll definitely win the primary?  Fuck if I know, but I really wanted to say Rebecca Kleefisch.

4 minutes ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Did someone already post that Harris was acting President for 1hr 35 minutes while Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy under anesthesia?

Two things: I think this is some sort of history.

Ty mentioned it, yeah.  It's history in that it's obviously the first woman to hold presidential power.  In terms of invoking section 3 of the 25th, nah Bush/Cheney did it a couple times as did Reagan/Bush (kind of).

[Ormond]

13 minutes ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Did someone already post that Harris was acting President for 1hr 35 minutes while Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy under anesthesia?

Two things: I think this is some sort of history. Second, I need to do my first colonoscopy ever soon, and I didnt realize it is done under anesthesia. Is that what I need to expect?

This is only history in terms of Harris being the first Democrat and the first woman to have been acting president while the President underwent a medical procedure. George H. W. Bush did this for Reagan on June 13, 1985 and Cheney did it for George W. Bush twice, also for colonoscopies. 

As to the personal question -- yes, colonoscopies are generally done under the type of anesthesia where you lose all memory for what happened during it -- it's like suddenly losing an hour out of your life without the feeling of having been unconscious. At least that's what it's been like for me.

[Ran]

I had figured it'd be a hung jury after such long deliberations, but the jury came back on the Rittenhouse case: not guilty on all charges.

 

[Kalbear]

1 minute ago, Ran said:

I had figured it'd be a hung jury after such long deliberations, but the jury came back on the Rittenhouse case: not guilty on all charges.

 

Truly a triumph for the legal system

[Mister Smikes]

Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted on all counts.  He collapsed when the verdict was read.  It was the correct verdict.

[Kalbear]

Just now, Mister Smikes said:

Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted on all counts.  He collapsed when the verdict was read.  It was the correct verdict.

Truly a triumph for the legal system

[Derfel Cadarn]

21 minutes ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Did someone already post that Harris was acting President for 1hr 35 minutes while Biden underwent a routine colonoscopy under anesthesia?

Two things: I think this is some sort of history. Second, I need to do my first colonoscopy ever soon, and I didnt realize it is done under anesthesia. Is that what I need to expect?

Usually local anaesthetic, I had one almost 10 years ago. With that and painkillrr, Inwas kind of woozy and surprised when they were done; hadn’t realised they’d started!

[Mister Smikes]

3 minutes ago, Kalsandra said:

Truly a triumph for the legal system

Not much of a triumph.  But it was the correct verdict on the law and the facts, and verdicts should be correct.  

Unanimous decision of 12 jurors.

[IheartIheartTesla]

Yes, I meant first woman as President, acting or otherwise its still history. I had known about Cheney stepping in for Bush a couple times as well.

Based on all your comments about the feeling of incapacitation the anasthesia provides, it makes sense to have an acting President. Not to bring everything back to the West Wing, but there were all kinds of questions (usually raised by Toby) as to what was happening when Bartlett blacked out from his MS.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, Fez said:

The extremely parochial way he opposed the bill (not enough heating assistance was one of his top 3 issues) I think could help in Maine. Maybe not enough, who knows? But if it saves his seat, it's worth it. Republicans won't push the "bipartisan opposition" card, that narrative doesn't matter to their voters. It'll just be socialism, communism, anti-freedom, etc. If they try going big brain, they'll claim it's a giveaway to billionaires due to the SALT changes.

Ultimately I think it will have little impact either way, but personally if I was him I’d be more worried about people not showing up to vote because I didn’t vote for a popular bill. And if it doesn’t have much impact either way, why not present a unified front? Democrats really need to start doing that.

Regarding the messaging, its effectiveness won’t be that strong, but I bet you will hear a number of commentators use that line in the days to come.

Quote

I've got no problem with voting against the party (assuming the outcome doesn't change) if it can help retain a seat. My problem is with message voting from people in safe seats, like the squad with the first bill.

 

I think what the Squad did was more problematic, but all the no votes were unnecessary in my book. The bigger issue with what they did though is what DMC pointed, it was about protecting themselves in the primaries. First of all I don’t think they even needed to do so and second, it perpetuates a style of politics that’s not good for the country overall and both sides are deeply guilty of it.

[maarsen]

16 minutes ago, Mister Smikes said:

Kyle Rittenhouse has been acquitted on all counts.  He collapsed when the verdict was read.  It was the correct verdict.

Well O.J. got off too. Fat lot of good it did him once the civil case destroyed him. I am sure the families of the victims are talking to lawyers now. 

[DMC]

10 minutes ago, IheartIheartTesla said:

Not to bring everything back to the West Wing, but there were all kinds of questions (usually raised by Toby) as to what was happening when Bartlett blacked out from his MS.

For 90 minutes that night there was a coup d'etat in this country!!!

 

 

[Morpheus]

Matt Gaetz has said he wants to hire the dead-eyed monster, there is a cult of sub humans that actively celebrate the little shit, he will do fine. Trump will probably embrace him too. 

[JGP]

I found this article to be a good analysis [pre-verdict] particularly when contrasted against the Travis McMicheal case:

'It sees America as a society forever teetering on the brink of Hobbesian breakdown, and firearms as the sole guarantor of individual security. And the more influential this culture becomes, the more its paranoid delusions come to resemble our collective reality.'

 https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2021/11/rittenhouse-jury-verdict-self-defense-legal-analysis.html

 

[HoodedCrow]

Trump reserves medals of honor for violent people.