The Politics Thread

[Vee]

[Juliajms]

I can barely stand to hear Obama speak now.  It's painful to be reminded how far we've fallen.

[Khan]

 

Well, at least he got one thing right from Reagan.

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The [New York] Times reported yesterday that the White House has a list of around 12 potential suspects.

 

What is this?  "Dallas"?

 

I realize this is not how it's going to turn out...but wouldn't it be hilarious if the writer was Javanka, and that the two have engineered the whole thing to have John Kelly ousted?

 

Okay, maybe not "hilarious"...but it would definitely be something to behold.

Edited September 7, 2018 by Khan

[JaneAusten]

Fricking David Brock is warning us against Kavanaugh. BROCK. 

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/i-knew-brett-kavanaugh-during-his-years-republican-operative-don-ncna907391

[Juliajms]

Sadly this is spot on.

 

[JaneAusten]

I am going to venture a guess that when this entire mess is over and the democrats gain control of the entire gvmt - it will happen, we get a Roosevelt like leadership and start expanding the judiciary. Not talking about the lead court but the federal courts. This happened under Roosevelt and frankly I don't give a darn at this point. I've read this point by several legal scholars also. 

 

When Roosevelt went around the congress to try and pad the Supreme Court who was ruling a lot of his programs as unconstitutional, he had the support of over 60% of the American people at the time to double the size of the court. Congress both parties detested the idea at the time, yet magically the Supreme Court in place started ruling in favor of his programs.

[Wendy]

I've said the same elsewhere. Take back control, pack the courts. That will put a crimp in the right-wing lunacy/rulings.

[Juliajms]

What I don't understand is why the Republicans aren't packing the courts, especially SCOTUS.  What is stopping them from making this move preemptively?

Edited September 8, 2018 by Juliajms

[JaneAusten]

They are filling current vacancies lots of seats they held open under ObAma. Kavanaugh will likely be confirmed but he’s also set h8mself up for impeachment and yes I do believe that will happen in the future once sanity and control returns. 5 years maybe who knows. He’s perjured himself again this week.

 

i know political parties don’t like to set a precedence but frankly I’m done being nice. Obama should have allowed prosecution of the Wall Street crooks by the DoJ(I realize it was Holders decision). And we need to start prosecuting r war criminals I know that the depth of influence etc in the FBI and CIA is great and that a lot of private profiteers have influence, but it’s time to clean things up. If anything I agree with ObAma. trump has exposed a lot of this just based on his own indecency, we are all seeing the glad handling and corruption. And I am glad to hear that he agrees that this anonymous Op Ed. Writer is no patriot. Just someone with zero accountability making decisions they were not elected to make. trump for all his bluster is basically a puppet for the establishment. Once he’s gone they can claim it was all him. I hope he takes them all down.

[Khan]

 

I think we saw a little bit of that happening with Cory Booker's "BRING IT!".  And I think we saw a little bit MORE of it with Kamala Harris' questioning of Brett Kavanaugh.  I think that, slowly but surely, Democrats are simply tired of being nice.

 

 

I'm glad, too!  It's as if this person wants a freaking medal for bravery!  You want me to think of you as being brave and patriotic?  How about coming forward and revealing your name -- and then, how about demanding the Cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment?  Do those two things, and then maybe, I'll nominate you for the Bronze Star!

Edited September 8, 2018 by Khan

[DRW50]

 

The press would be more invested if a "reasonable Republican" had given the speech. They don't like Obama. It will only interest them in the context of Obama vs Trump. I saw one article almost slobbering as it said everyone had been waiting for this day to come.

 

Sadly he doesn't have much credibility on any side. 

 

It's disgusting to see how many in the press are just treating the whole thing as a "win" for the GOP and about how this will help in the midterms, and so on. It's all a game to them. They don't care about this man clearly being a stooge and a crony and a far right extremist.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

The U.S. press has always disliked Black people, especially prominent ones, it goes all the way to before MLK.

 

I'm sure they are hoping to get a Obama vs. Trump narrative but Obama won't play ball.  He is speaking because 1.) he was getting an award and 2) he is clearly in campaign mode for midterms, trying to get out the vote.

 

Trump has been trying to bait Obama for years, now more than ever to try to distract from the smoldering garbage fire that is the current White House.  Obama didn't take the bait back then and he won't do it now.  Obama may be helping Democratic candidates with midterms but in many senses, he's already moved beyond the United States.  Watching him speak in South Africa last month, it became apparent that Obama, through his foundation has gone global.

[marceline]

The murder mystery atmosphere around the op-ed is a perfect example of what's gone so terribly wrong with the country. Once again we're back to being a reality show. The press is right on board with their ridiculous pieces analyzing the syntax. "Ooh they used "lodestar" so it must be Mike Pence." The press has learned nothing. The NY Times is just completely up its own ass smirking like the cat who ate the canary. The only good thing that comes out of this is the fact that Trump is obsessed with finding out who wrote it and is making the lives of the people in the White House hell. I hope he goes all out: polygraphs, truth serum, cavity searches. Anybody working in that White House deserves every bit of pain he can bring.

[Khan]

 

Yep.

 

I remain suspicious of this person's true motives in writing the article (and withholding his/her name), as well as of the timing in giving it to the NYT.  Here we are, smack dab in the middle of Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation hearings, when THIS bomb drops; and because we don't know who the author is, it's taking some attention away from the fact that Kavanaugh is a lying sack of [!@#$%^&*] who doesn't belong on "The People's Court" let alone the Supreme Court.  

 

Ergo, maybe that's why he/she wrote the article: to distract everyone from Kavanaugh.  (Yes, I know the NYT had been in contact with Anon. since before this week.  However, it's no secret that half this country's been on guard about Kavanaugh since his nomination and Kennedy's resignation.)  And if that's why they wrote it, then what do you want to bet that, after the GOP confirms Kavanaugh, this person will finally, quietly come forward, their real mission having been accomplished?

[Chris B]

The op-ed was only useful in irritating Trump. I don’t even think it was about distracting from Kavannagh because he’ll be confirmed regardless. Even perjuring himself multiple times, the republicans won’t let him go so that’s that. The person who wrote the op-Ed was as probably humiliated by Trump and wanted to get back at him and also give himself political cover once this all blows open. He can say he tried to alert people to the dangers of Trump, even though it would’ve been more powerful to do that on the record.