US Politics: The Bully Culprit

[Fragile Bird]

4 hours ago, Maithanet said:

Yesterday was Sunday, the court was not in session.

Yes, but maybe they were talking about something that happened at the end of the week?

[Zorral]

Are you talking about the Supreme Court of Corruption?  See my post above as to what Alito was proposing as to why presidents should have immunity for everything including assassination of political rivals.

46 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said:

happened at the end of the week?

 

[The Anti-Targ]

5 hours ago, Zorral said:

It's not in session today either, or on Wednesday.  

In the meantime it sure does look as though the Constitutional Crisis that has been hand wrung as potentially coming for so long, is in full action now, thank you Alito and the Corrupt Court of Supremes.

I mean, look at and try to parse this shyte what Justice Alito is saying here -- https://www.thebulwark.com/p/conservative-legal-philosophy-was

- Donald Trump attempted a coup, and failed.
- The criminal justice system is attempting to hold him accountable for this clear violation of the law.
- But doing so might lead to some other president to attempt a coup.
- So if someone attempts a coup they must not be prosecuted.
- Because if you prosecute them, they might attempt another coup.

Alito continues to suggest that barring criminal prosecutions of a former president would be a good thing for democracy.

 

But by all means lets pearl clutch over the university students as stupid, ignorant and antisemitic for demanding their school and nation stop conduction ethnic cleansing.

For a former president to not be subject to vindictive prosecution by the opposing party the immunity would have to be for every alleged crime ever before, during and after leaving office. Otherwise if there was some kind of vindictive motive the party in power could just frame the former president for a crime committed while not in office, so that means a former president could become a crime boss after they leave office (having gone through the training of being a crime boss while in office) and they would be untouchable.

Sound logic with no flaws at all.

[Martell Spy]

Quote

so that means a former president could become a crime boss after they leave office (having gone through the training of being a crime boss while in office) and they would be untouchable.

Or the immunity only lasts while in office. Which creates a real incentive to both commit crimes, but also to remain in office the rest of your life, by any means possible. Sounds like playing Grand Theft Auto, but the police don't come after you.

If you knew you could steal anything in the country, but had a time limit of 4 to 8 years, you'd want to steal as much as possible to pass on to your heirs. Much better though to just become a Putin and ride your tiger.

[Zorral]

It didn't take long -- Kristi Noem = Cruella De Vil. Ha!  She too can shoot someone in Times Square in broad daylight and not be arrested!  VP = ME ME ME Pick ME! 

Who gives a gdd who is going to be non-elected along with the stinkin' pile.

But maybe she can pay his contempt of court fines, or serve in his stead when incarceration happens because he cannot stop.

Edited April 30 by Zorral

[Spockydog]

Imagine thinking that killing your dog is something that should be shared with the electorate. The Right truly has all the best people. 

[kissdbyfire]

2 minutes ago, Zorral said:

Kristi Noem = Cruella De Vil.

Will this be the one time when “puppy killer” is a plus on a VP resume?

[Zorral]

This is interesting.  The White House invited Jonathan Katz to visit.

My interview with the president
Biden (to me): 'I have made very clear to the Israelis what they have to do in the near term. [And] if they don't, what's going to happen.'

https://theracket.news/p/interview-president?

Quote

About a week and a half ago, an unexpected email showed up in my inbox. Enclosed was an invitation to a reception on the periphery of the White House Correspondent’s Association dinner. This was odd, seeing as a) I’m not a White House correspondent and b) didn’t have any plans to attend the dinner. Then I looked at who had sent the invitation: It was from the White House Social Secretary. I was being invited to the White House itself. ....

His interview recorded on his phone:

Quote

 

.... On the question of material support, though, he gave a more detailed answer. “The answer is twofold,” the president told me. “Number one, Israel's security from the region is essential. It's essential. That's fundamentally different than how Israel acts in Gaza. I've been, as you probably know, putting extreme pressure on the Israelis to back off and … open up humanitarian access in Gaza. And I think we’re getting close.”

“You basically proposed your own Gaza flotilla,” I responded, referring both to Biden’s plan to build a military pier at a new Israeli-constructed port in Gaza, and the humanitarian Gaza Freedom Flotilla that is currently stranded in Turkey after the tiny African nation of Guinea-Bissau, under whose flag the container ships were supposed to sail, intervened at the last minute to revoke permission. (A 2010 Freedom Flotilla ended in tragedy when Israeli commandos stormed the ship, killing nine activists.)

“Beyond that,” Biden corrected me. “And I’m pushing hard, and if they [Israel] are not going to volunteer to do it, we’re going to impose it.”

He then stepped away to greet some other attendees. A minute later, the president came back toward me. “I know you’re a typical press guy. You’re grabbing me in front of all this. And I trust you as far as I can throw your phone.” (I was visibly filming the whole interaction. I’ll post the video below.) He added: “I have a good arm, man. I can throw it a long way.” (Which may, come to think of it, mean he trusts me a lot? Though that also seems doubtful.)

Then he leaned forward, looking me dead in the eye with his intense pair of baby blues: “My point is this. I have made it very clear to the Israelis what they have to do in the near term. If they don’t, what’s going to happen.”

“What’s going to happen?” I asked.

“A lot,” he replied.

I tried to follow up — asking if the U.S. would cut off funding. But my brief interview was over. The president looked away. On cue, his aides ushered me to the edge of the oval room, where I could swear Fran Drescher was giving me side-eye.

 

Katz's analysis of their quick exchanged follows.

Quote

 

...  First, my admittedly superficial impression was that Biden was all there, mentally. My experience was of talking to a seasoned, if old, politician, who deftly deflected an uncomfortable question, had a totally separate emotional interaction — one that happened to require remembering a face and an interaction he’d had decades ago — then came back over to me to hammer his point. If anything he was more intense and focused than I’d expected. I’m unsure if his ire was directed at me, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli government, or all of the above. But there was no trace of the senility or dementia many assume have set in.

My more substantive take is that this was an in-the-flesh confirmation of the Biden who has come across in leaks and comments from aides, a Biden who is fed up with Israel’s shenanigans and this close to imposing some kind of consequence or other. And I have to say that I did feel that his perturbation with Israel was genuine — especially given his late Cold Warrior conviction, unevidenced of late, that Israel’s primacy in the Middle East is essential to American security.

But his avoidance of specifics spoke to the other side of that coin: the fact that there has been zero evidence of any serious consequences in the seven months of this ungodly war. So far the U.S. response to countless war crimes in Gaza has been to briefly threaten symbolic sanctions against individual Israeli units and officials, then reverse them immediately. And to allow a weakened ceasefire resolution to pass the U.N. Security Council, then pretend like the resolution doesn’t count.

All the while, Biden — personally annoyed or otherwise — has kept the bombs and billions flowing. Even as we spoke, his administration was reportedly working to stop the International Criminal Court (the criminal analog to the International Court of Justice, or ICJ, also in The Hague) from issuing warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials’ arrest.

I’d have liked to follow up — on Gaza, Haiti, and more. What did Biden make clear to the Israelis that they have to do in the near term? What kind of consequences fall under the heading of “a lot?” (Again, good questions for the actual White House press corps to follow up on.) What we do know is this: Israel is still intensively bombing Rafah, killing dozens of people a day, even as U.S.-brokered talks proceed on a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Mass deaths from hunger could be imminent. And over 34,000 people are dead — probably many more, given that Gaza health officials under relentless assault have lost their ability to count.

Both the administration, and its Republican rivals, seem to know that Biden has a major problem with young voters — especially those who are keyed in on the slaughter in Gaza, and wars in general. Hence, I’d imagine, the wining-and-dining stars of a popular app he just banned, and his repetition of a promise to effect global change “without war.” But there are wars — wars his administration is arming and funding profligately; in one case the recipient being an embattled defender and in the other the primary aggressor. Yet instead of stopping those wars, as he laudably did in Afghanistan, the president is continuing to stand by provable war criminals, while lining up against student protesters in his own country who have the temerity and courage to demand substantive, institutional change. So while I appreciated the invitation, and the Chicken Satay, I’ll end with a suggestion for my host: Focus less on courting influencers, and more on rapidly fixing the policies now threatening to sink one of history’s most consequential re-election campaigns.

 

Katz's video of the entire thing is on his TikTok account, one of which I don't have, so I can't post a link.

[Spockydog]

 

 

[Martell Spy]

57 minutes ago, kissdbyfire said:

Will this be the one time when “puppy killer” is a plus on a VP resume?

And she defends it with saying it's a very common practice on farms which I think some would disagree with. Don't worry, we're all a bunch of puppy killers out here! Can't have those lazy dogs not pulling their weight and trying to create a welfare state.

[Zorral]

1 minute ago, Martell Spy said:

it's a very common practice on farms

It is, or at least it was where I grew up.  An animal that isn't serving its purpose or was dangerous, was gotten rid of in one way or another -- killed for pot, sold, or just killed.  Also a lot of them were intended to be killed for food in the first place which is why they are there.  And that is for all our food.  I don't imagine that's changed.

However, why Cruella de Vil believed it was cool to brag about it, in a book, no less, well, that's another kettle of non-stew entirely.  I mean, back home and then, if my dad had shot a vicious dog he wouldn't have found it of enough importance to even mentioned it to anybody -- maybe not even us.

[kissdbyfire]

12 minutes ago, Zorral said:

It is, or at least it was where I grew up.  An animal that isn't serving its purpose or was dangerous, was gotten rid of in one way or another -- killed for pot, sold, or just killed.  Also a lot of them were intended to be killed for food in the first place which is why they are there.  And that is for all our food.  I don't imagine that's changed.

However, why Cruella de Vil believed it was cool to brag about it, in a book, no less, well, that's another kettle of non-stew entirely.  I mean, back home and then, if my dad had shot a vicious dog he wouldn't have found it of enough importance to even mentioned it to anybody -- maybe not even us.

I think it goes beyond the fact that she bragged about it but also how happily she narrates that yes, she is a proud puppy killer but only after botching it first, leaving the wounded dog there, going after more ammo, coming back to finish that bastard dog off. Then she realises there's a bunch of people watching this spectacle, her daughter's school bus pulls up and the daughter's first words are "where is 'Toto'?". 

[Relic]

I'm going to make myself unpopular by saying that her putting down a dog is not news. Pet owners offended by her accounts who eat meat are the height of hypocrisy. Don't at me.

[Bironic]

Maybe she should volunteer as Bidens VP instead of Trumps. Trump doesn’t have any dogs. While Biden has an especially aggressive one  

@Relic while I agree with you general statement, Afaik she refrained from eating the dog she put down didn’t she? Maybe that will be the next republican VP candidate: I put my dog down and ate it with some fava beans and a nice Chianti… 

take that you woke vegetarian animal Justice warriors 

South Dakota: where dogs go to die

(I am joking)

Edited April 30 by Bironic

[Zorral]

30 minutes ago, kissdbyfire said:

I think it goes beyond the fact that she bragged about it but also how happily she narrates that yes, she is a proud puppy killer but only after botching it first, leaving the wounded dog there, going after more ammo, coming back to finish that bastard dog off. Then she realises there's a bunch of people watching this spectacle, her daughter's school bus pulls up and the daughter's first words are "where is 'Toto'?". 

Ah, I didn't know all that.  I pay so little attention beyond captions to these ilks, and often not even that!

[kissdbyfire]

12 minutes ago, Bironic said:

take that you woke vegan animal Justice warriors 

FTFY.

You jest, but just the other day I read something about a lawmaker somewhere say  - I can’t remember where but it was some country w/ a loud and obnoxious anti-woke gaggle of politicians) that he was going to propose a law banning vegan meals in any public school menu b/c “everyone knows veganism is a dangerous arm of the woke left. WTAF. Has trying to deal with and solve issues for your electorate gone out of style or what? 

[Cas Stark]

She got the dog with one shot.  It was later on during her killing spree of the same day,  that she decided to also shoot a 'dirty' goat, and so she took the goat to the killing field, er, gravel pit, and shot it, but had to go back for a second shot.

I will grant that things are a little different in the West and on farms, but the idea that it is 1) common  2) badass to shoot your own PUPPY because apparently you failed to train a high prey drive dog to behave is insane.  She was crazy to have thought this revelation would give her some kind of credibility with conservative voters.  

[LongRider]

43 minutes ago, kissdbyfire said:

- I can’t remember where but it was some country w/ a loud and obnoxious anti-woke gaggle of politicians) that he was going to propose a law banning vegan meals in any public school menu b/c “everyone knows veganism is a dangerous arm of the woke left.

Rolled my eyes so hard at this they fell out their sockets!   Srsly, banning vegan meals is just one more step to banning all meals in schools.   The little buggars should pay, don't they want to grow up to be good capitalists?   Remember when Michelle Obama wanted to improve school lunches and so many of the GOP lost their shit?  ugh!

[DireWolfSpirit]

To be clear putting down animals that are in pain is not rare in the rural midwest of the U.S.

I dont think its anything thats relished.  I've known people that would pay thousands for the vets to do whatever they can to help their pets but at the same time, some of those same people faced with believing the animal is in terminal pain and they believe they are ending the pets suffering.

I myself wouldnt do it because I'm not expert enough to understand a pets pain or whether its something terminal, I have a never give up hope attitude over illnesses for humans and pets, I wouldnt do assisted suicide for those same reasons.

However a high percent of people do believe in such actions and as I said, putting down a suffering pet is something people will do and they will do it themselves without a vet, usually burying or cremating the animal themselves as well.

Thats the sad end for for some farm animals, these people arent driving in 30 miles to hire a vet with a needle, they feel the end of life responsibility is thiers I think.

[Maithanet]

Finally!!

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-administration-plans-reclassify-marijuana-easing-restrictions-na-rcna149424

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The Biden administration will take a historic step toward easing federal restrictions on cannabis, with plans to announce an interim rule soon reclassifying the drug for the first time since the Controlled Substances Act was enacted more than 50 years ago, four sources with knowledge of the decision tell NBC News.

The Drug Enforcement Administration is expected to approve an opinion by the Department of Health and Human Services that marijuana should be reclassified from the most strict Schedule I to the less stringent Schedule III, marking the first time that the U.S. government would acknowledge its potential medical benefits and begin studying them in earnest.