The Politics Thread

[quartermainefan]

The guy was obviously a Klan sympathizer but that republican who brought up the hypocrisy aspect is on the money. I love Bill Clinton, he is the smartest most capable guy on earth but it wasn't that long ago he was claiming to be part of the traditional marriage crowd that was against what we now call a gay right. So was Hillary, so was Obama, so was a huge portion of the electorate that voted for Obama. They all had no interest in civil rights when it was gay people who were looking for them. Obama, Bill and Hillary all changed their tune so we forget about it and move on. This guy claims he does not think like the klan does and we should pretend that is good enough until the next shoe drops if it ever does.

And if the media really wants to hunt down politicians with Klan sympathies they should take a good look at Ron and Rand Paul, not this nobody.

[DRW50]

He's the third most powerful man in Congress. That's far more powerful than anything kook and kookier can do.

There are more to civil rights for gays and lesbians than gay marriage. Bill Clinton is a hypocrite and a coward, but he hasn't been in office for 15 years. Hillary never had any powerful role involving gay rights. Obama changed his mind and wholeheartedly began supporting gay marriage.

I'm not sure what any of this has to do with a man who hangs around a hate group.

Edited January 1, 2015 by DRW50

[quartermainefan]

It addresses the republican point that "Byrd did it too". He did and he was revered. I am all for hanging republicans out to dry and a good scandal is just the trick, but whoever it was that made the defense about Byrd had a point.

[DRW50]

If that's the case, then why have none of the Republicans who hated Byrd said anything about Scalise? People who saw what Byrd did as a mistake of decades earlier aren't the same people who are even now insisting that Scalise did nothing wrong.

[marceline]

I don't really care about the fact that a Republican decided to pal around with white supremacists. Honestly I'm more surprised that there are some who don't. But Lawd I'm tired of people like Scalise lying about it when he gets caught. He claimed he didn't know anything about the group which is utter bullshit. The idea that someone accepts a speaking engagement and doesn't do at least a modicum of research about it - just so they can write appropriate remarks - is ludicrous. Republicans are so used to their base accepting any ridiculous lie that they think nothing of trying to peddle the same lies to the rest of the population.

Edited January 1, 2015 by marceline

[DeeeDee]

Deflection.

[GregNYC]

Scalise scored 76% on conservative ratings. By comparison, Ted Cruz scored 95%.

http://www.heritageactionscorecard.com/members

[GregNYC]

Scalise is a Italian Catholic. Why would he attend KKK, which openly hates Catholics?

[marceline]

For the same reason politicians of all stripes associate with people they don't like: because he thought it would be politically advantageous.

[ReddFoxx]

There is a big difference between mainstream Republican and a moderate Republican, Scalise is mainstream, but definitely not moderate since he's very conservative. Ted Cruz is more fringe and has no filter. Regardless, on most issues, there isn't a whole lot of variance between the two.

And it would be wise to open a history book. The second klan went after Catholics, the third klan (which is the current one) is more anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim, with Catholics being an almost non-existent target these days.

[quartermainefan]

RIP Mario Cuomo.  It was often said the reason he didn't run for president was because of not quite savory mafia ties that would have come out, but he was a good governor and one of the few to eloquently disagree with Ronald Reagan's ersatz economic theories.

 

[Roman]

Because he's a bigot.

[quartermainefan]

There are moderate republicans: they're called democrats. Do you realize that Nixon was a supporter of ideas incorporated into Obamacare. Bush Sr called Reaganomics Voodoo Economics and he was forced to embrace it to remain a viable member of his party? The republicans became the party of deficits, unending war (what Bob Dole once referred to a 'Democrat Wars') and a marriage between church and state.

[DRW50]

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/mario-cuomo-death-113916.html?hp=t1_r

[quartermainefan]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/02/david-duke-steve-scalise_n_6406844.html

This is really becoming juicy. I would love to see David Duke reveal all his hidden contacts. I also think this is where Scalise should resign but I hope he doesn't quite yet. David Duke for the defense is worse than no defense at all, but it would be great if all the hidden KKK people were outed. I wonder how many would be republican...48, 49?