The Politics Thread

[marceline]

Behold Justin Harris, the Arkansas lawmaker who "re-homed" his adopted daughters to the pedophile that raped one of them.

http://wonkette.com/578685/justin-harris-had-to-abandon-6-year-old-daughter-before-she-ax-murdered-whole-family

(Note: Wonkette is a bit of a satire site but the news they report is real. I'm linking there because the article links to multiple local sources.)

If you've never heard of re-homing, it's a practice where people who no longer want to keep children they've adopted just give them away. Reuters did a series on the practice back in 2013. It made me look at my friends who've adopted with a whole new level of respect.

[DRW50]

I read about that yesterday It says a lot about our current culture that not only is this man not going to face anything for what he did, but one of his colleagues even went on a threatening tirade against the reporter, telling him he'd "burn in hell."

[marceline]

And that's what makes me think this is just a ring of pedos. That guy, Nate Bell, completely lost his mind for no reason so I suspect he's had some part in all this ugliness. I desperately hope that the Feds get a warrant for these guys' computers. They are probably chock full of all kinds of nastiness. This re-homing foulness is nothing but child trafficking.

Harris also runs a "Christian" day care (that receives a ton of Federal money, of course) and earlier this year he pushed a bill that would say that child care centers no longer be required to sprinkler systems. I'm terrified that he's going to burn that school down to cover up evidence. This whole thing is disgusting from top to bottom.

[GMac]

This is fucked up. What a depressing, disturbing story.

[DRW50]

Media darling Tom Cotton helps the Senate Republicans make international fools of themselves yet again.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2015/03/09/the-misguided-condescending-letter-from-republican-senators-to-iran/

[DramatistDreamer]

I am surprised that the party implosions have started so soon since taking over Congress. These folks do everything fast except pass actual meaningful legislation.

[DRW50]

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/hillary-clinton-email-press-conference-115947.html?hp=t1_r

I swear it's like we never, ever leave Bill-land and Hillary-land. 5, 10, 15, 20 years. Nothing changes with these confusing scandals always made worse by incompetent, media-hungry aides.

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[quartermainefan]

James Carville said it best when he went on Andrea Mitchell. He said the media has two rules, one for the Clintons and one for everyone else, that nobody did anything illegal, and that Mitchell and media take their cues from right wing talking points. He also said there was little to gain by responding to this scandal because no matter what the Clintons say it will never be enough and that years of every -Gate imaginable manufactured by the media shows that the Clintons have very little to gain indulging the media or republicans.

I read another essay that said the Clintons know all they have to do is stonewall until a new news item comes along and the media forgets this one. The Clintons having secrets is old news, and the media needs new news.

[DRW50]

That's a fair point. I guess they took the bait - either that or they knew this was going to be an issue no matter what.

I really do wonder if she's going to decide not to run, especially with Bill's health.

[quartermainefan]

Why would she not run? If there was anything truly scandalous in these emails than someone received them and they could potentially leak out. Bill seems to be in decent health and he would be a great asset to her. There are no history making black candidates running this time to steal thunder away from a history making woman candidate, so she has the whole history caucus on her side. Who are the republicans going to send against her? If she runs I think she will win despite general resistance to older women by the US.

[marceline]

What's wrong with Bill's health? Obviously I missed some news.

[DRW50]

I meant the operations he had a few years back.

If she runs and loses again, after being trashed by the press and by many in both parties, I think she'd be horribly demoralized, even worse than 2008. And there are a lot of Republican empty suits who would be formidable (like Scott Walker), due to Obama fatigue. That's why I wonder if she'll go through with it.

Politico attempt at a gush-fest on media darling Tom Cotton. This is thin gruel by Politico standards - I guess it's hard to try to have a circle jerk over him when so many major Republicans in the Senate notably refused to get involved, or are now, like that preening nobody Graham, trying to do a little dance and act like they didn't want to sign on and it's all Obama's fault.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/cotton-storms-the-senate-115960.html?hp=t3_r

[Vee]

There is literally no one they can run against her. This email [!@#$%^&*] will be a dead issue in six months, let alone next year.

[quartermainefan]

Tom Cotton the Iran letter guy? I think he wrecked his own career. Yes the tea party crowd goes for that sort of thing but no one else does.

[DRW50]

Now some "aides" (AKA the senators are too gutless to speak up) are saying the letter was a "joke" and Democrats just don't have a "sense of humor."

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/10/republicans-admit-that-iran-letter-was-a-dumb-idea.html

I read that Megyn Kelly, the most effective mouthpiece of "serious" Republicans, grilled Cotton last night, so I guess they aren't thrilled.

Hey, at least he can run for President now! He'll probably get the nod in no time.

Speaking of that, one creep endorses another.

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/scott-walker-endorsement-scott-baio-2016-elections-115981.html