US Politics: Mark your calendars

[Shryke]

That's all any nation ever does. However, it's how they go about doing so that can give people cause for concern and whether or not their actions can lead to conflict. And people, as well as nations, have every right to be concerned about that.

Sure. Nothing so far seems to merit concern though.

Nor does anything so far indicate any kind of "Cold War" mentality at work here.

This isn't China vs the US. It's the US at work in an issue of international relations that it's got a big stake in.

[Prosesskrift]

If you want good reporting on the South China Sea issue, as well as the territorial struggle going on between Taiwan, Japan and China, I would suggest the Economist. Might be you don't agree with their conclusions - I often dont- but their facts and descriptions are very rarely wrong, and their opinions quite insightful.

I think accusing them of having an anti-Chinese slant would be silly, but people see what they want, Including me I suspect.

[Usotsuki]

Good news for Senator Lindsey Notlohan Graham:

South Carolina U.S. Senator Jim DeMint will replace Ed Feulner as president of the Heritage Foundation.

Mr. DeMint will leave his post as South Carolina's junior senator in early January to take control of the Washington think tank, which has an annual budget of about $80 million.

Sen. DeMint's departure means that South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, a Republican, will name a successor, who will have to run in a special election in 2014.

In that year, both Mr. DeMint's replacement and Sen. Lindsey Graham will be running for reelection in South Carolina.

[Oblique]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/jim-demint-heritage-foundation_n_2250229.html

DeMint leaving early, along with McCaskill....will we see any more coming up soon?

[Inigima]

DeMint apparently had four full years left on his term. I don't necessarily think someone is automatically terrible for resigning early, but: Some states have vacancies filled by gubernatorial appointment, right? Is it possible that some bright spark might come up with the idea of running mutually ideologically acceptable candidates in swing states with their party''s governor in order to win election, then just having them immediately resign and having a much more strongly ideological replacement appointed?

I don't know how many states fill vacancies that way, and of those, how many might be in that kind of situation. Just a thought.

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

McCaskill is leaving?

[Oblique]

McCaskill is leaving?

Yep. In February. Frees her to vote on tax increases, at the least.

[Frog Eater]

http://www.huffingto..._n_2250229.html

DeMint leaving early, along with McCaskill....will we see any more coming up soon?

Say hello to Senator Nikki Haley ®South Carolina

(I have no proof of this, it just wont surprise me. I am sure she is huddling with her advisors right now trying to determine how appointing herself will look to voters, she has political aspirations)

[Atreides]

Yep. In February. Frees her to vote on tax increases, at the least.

Where did you find this? All I could find was Jo Ann Emerson (R Congresswoman) was leaving in Feb.

[Oblique]

Where did you find this? All I could find was Jo Ann Emerson (R Congresswoman) was leaving in Feb.

Gah! I'm sorry...brain cramp. I meant Emerson. :-(.

[rocksniffer]

DeMint apparently had four full years left on his term. I don't necessarily think someone is automatically terrible for resigning early, but: Some states have vacancies filled by gubernatorial appointment, right? Is it possible that some bright spark might come up with the idea of running mutually ideologically acceptable candidates in swing states with their party''s governor in order to win election, then just having them immediately resign and having a much more strongly ideological replacement appointed?

i can say this from here in my adopted state, SC, it would be hard for the crazy bitch in the governor's mansion to get further to the right than demint. though i'm sure she will figure a way...just cuz she is crazy...

seriously, i believe he waited til after the election because no one as far to the right as he could realistically get this seat...the republican "old guard" were over him after he refused to support their choices here at the state level and in the national races. his time in this good ole boy club was done...but they probably encouraged him to wait because they feared turn out here in SC would be weak, since the repubs here couldn't have old newt, well they figured they might as well stay home. and since he agreed they signed off on his new post.

Say hello to Senator Nikki Haley ®South Carolina

(I have no proof of this, it just wont surprise me. I am sure she is huddling with her advisors right now trying to determine how appointing herself will look to voters, she has political aspirations)

I completely agree this is more likely than some might think...concievably she could resign then her hand-picked LT. gov steps in and names her to job...we have a pool at my local pub that this, in fact, is exactly whats going to happen! i got 200.00 bucks riding on it happening just after "fiscal hang-gliding day" just so she won't have to stain her rep with a vote either way

edited cause my grammar sux... :smoking:

[Frog Eater]

i can say this from here in my adopted state, SC, it would be hard for the crazy bitch in the governor's mansion to get further to the right than demint. though i'm sure she will figure a way...just cuz she is crazy...

seriously, i believe he waited til after the election because no one as far to the right as he could realistically get this seat...the republican "old guard" were over him after he refused to support their choices here at the state level and in the national races. his time in this good ole boy club was done...but they probably encouraged him to wait because they feared turn out here in SC would be weak, since the repubs here couldn't have old newt, well they figured they might as well stay home. and since he agreed they signed off on his new post.

I completely agree this is more likely than some might think...concievably she could resign then her hand-picked LT. gov steps in and names her to job...we have a pool at my local pub that this, in fact, is exactly whats going to happen! i got 200.00 bucks riding on it happening just after "fiscal hang-gliding day" just so she won't have to stain her rep with a vote either way

edited cause my grammar sux... :smoking:

Is your 200.00 on that she will resign as Gov and then be nominated or that she will nominate herself? I dont see her resigning before nominating herself.

sidenote: where in SC are you? Columbia here.

[Spring Bass]

EDIT: Never mind answered above.

I'm not going to lie - I've completely zoned out all the political hash over the Fiscal Cliff. If a deal gets done, good. If not, then it will be good when that pushes them into a deal.

[Shryke]

Michigan Gov. Snyder has decided to use the lame duck session to make Michigan a right-to-work state. They are doing it, like, right now.

Protesters are currently being pepper-sprayed in accordance with state-level governmental procedure.

[Fez]

Michigan Gov. Snyder has decided to use the lame duck session to make Michigan a right-to-work state. They are doing it, like, right now.

Protesters are currently being pepper-sprayed in accordance with state-level governmental procedure.

Yeah, they're scum. Wasn't also some bill that would apparently completely dismantle the K-12 public education system? I remember reading last week about all these Republican superintendents panicking about their party stabbing them in the back.

[Oblique]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/dana-perinovictims-of-vio_n_2251761.html

Ah, FOX News, always elevating the national discourse.......

[Crazydog7]

This has probably already been linked but it still turns my stomach

http://takingnote.bl...bled-americans/

Keep going GOP Now I’m not even mildly inclined to vote GOP but how could anyone be against this? I mean someone please explain to the me the thinking behind this? Other then fuck the UN. Other then the mention on the board in the last thread I didn’t any coverage of this on any major news network. The Daily Show commentary on this was hilarious and at least someone mentioned it.

Oh I found some quotes!!!

Fuck all these people

“The question is, who should make critical decisions regarding the care and raising of children who have disabilities? Their parents or United Nations social workers? “There is no need for the CRPD, as our nation’s state and federal laws already protect our precious loved ones with disabilities. It is outrageous that U.S. senators would support a treaty that surrenders U.S. sovereignty and family integrity to unelected UN bureaucrats.”

-J. Michael Smith, President of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association

“Americans should be the ones making laws for America. If improvements are needed to the laws, that already are the leading examples of providing freedom and justice for persons with disabilities, this will open the door for infringing upon our sovereignty by subjecting the United States to foreign, anti-American biases.”

-Penny Young Nance, CEO of Concerned Women for America Legislative Action Committee

“With the admittedly hurried passage of the Affordable Care Act and other similar pieces of legislation we have seen that there are those in Congress who have little problem with passing laws only to find out what’s in them later. But I was not elected to pass as many pieces of legislation as possible. I was elected to pass legislation that directly benefits my constituents in Utah and the people of the United States while protecting their freedoms and unalienable rights as citizens.”

-Sen. Mike Lee, (R-Utah)

“It is not something which the United States needs to sign on to, but there is a great emotional case being made that we need to do this. I think it’s a great opportunity to talk about trans-national law, and how there is an insidious and dedicated movement to attack U.S. sovereignty.”

-Sen. Jon Kyl, (R-Ariz.)

[drawkcabi]

This has probably already been linked but it still turns my stomach

http://takingnote.bl...bled-americans/

Keep going GOP Now I’m not even mildly inclined to vote GOP but how could anyone be against this? I mean someone please explain to the me the thinking behind this? Other then fuck the UN.

No, that's it. The Republicans against it like to keep things are that simple.

[Jon Sprunk]

Regarding the disabilities treaty (and so many other issues), it's difficult to know if republicans actually don't understand it, or they are being deliberately obtuse. It kind of reminds me of that Southpark episode when Cartman fakes having Tourette Syndrome to the point where he starts blurting out inconvenient truths.

[Cuellar]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/debt-ceiling-mitch-mcconnell_n_2251515.html

McConnell actually filibusters himself... somewhat funny if it wasn't sad.

"This may be a moment in Senate history when a senator made a proposal and, when given an opportunity for a vote on that proposal, filibustered his own proposal," said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). "I think we have reached a new spot in the history of the Senate we've never seen before."