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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
Republicans appear to be losing a core demographic to the Democrats, over 65s. Democrats may have a 15-20% or higher gap in their favor.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/19/politics/the-gops-older-voter-problem/index.html
This is important because, A) seniors vote and B) the Democrats have won control of Congress with far less support than this.
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Kavanaugh may be scum, but I dunno if he's an attempted rapist. Of course, Christine Blasey Ford's accusations must be taken seriously.
I believe every such accusation must be taken seriously.
But at this point? It's "he said, she said". And I don't want to downplay women coming forward and pulling the rug of patriarchy out from under them all, but memory is damn deceptive.
I recall this very sad case of a woman who was raped by a black man, who kept calm during it because she wanted to remember as much as possible to get him convicted. A man she was convinced did it was convicted. DNA evidence years later showed he was innocent. The two made amends afterwards. Or perhaps the curious case of false 9/11 memories? Often, people misremember the facts but are completely confident in their memories.
Yet... at the same time, what if Ford is right? What if she isn't misremembering? Sometimes our memory is actually right - amazing I know. This is why it's important to scrutinise and practice healthy skepticism. We must look at other evidence.
Have there been other incidents regarding Kavanaugh? Were there other witnesses? Are there inconsistencies? etc etc.
I don't want to come off as saying Kavanaugh is definitely not a rapist, but I do want to promote people not jumping to conclusions about such terrible crimes.
And FUCK the Republicans calling it "a drunken 7 minutes in heaven" I hope you actually rot in hell.
Figure of Hourai
I think we can say, based on the preponderance of evidence, that this is highly unlikely to be in the tiny percentage of false accusations seeing as it was first mentioned to a therapist years before it was likely Kavanaugh was likely to be stuck on the Supreme Court.
In addition, anyone so likely to be accused of sexual assault that the Republicans pre-prepared a list of women vouching for his character is obviously not the sort of person who should be trusted with that amount of power.
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Also, thinking a woman's uterus doesn't belong to her isn't quite giving him the benefit of doubt.
"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
But apparently because she wants it handled in a non-partisan way rather than letting the GOP tear her a new one on national TV then she's just an opportunist.
"Yup. That tasted purple."
Yesterday's and today's WTF Just Happened Today feeds:
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/09/18/day-607/
Day 607: A great gentleman.
1/ Trump ordered the declassification of the FISA application targeting Carter Page and the release of James Comey's text messages related to the Russia investigation. Trump also called for the release of a senior Justice official's notes from the investigation, as well as unredacted text messages from Andrew Mc Cabe, Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page. (Politico / CNN)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/17/trump-declassification-fisa-documents-comey-texts-826304
2/ The Trump administration plans to cap the number of refugees allowed into the United States next year at 30,000, the lowest ceiling since the refugee program was created in 1980. The new low represents a reduction of one-third, from 45,000. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the move, arguing the ceiling should not be the "sole barometer” by which one measures the country's humanitarianism. (New York Times / Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/17/trump-refugees-limits-ceiling-826302
3/ Trump says he feels "terribly" for Brett Kavanaugh and that Kavanaugh is "not a man who deserves this," in reference to upcoming Senate testimony from Christine Blasey Ford, who says Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her when the two were in high school. Trump called Kavanaugh "a great gentleman" and expressed concern for Kavanaugh's wife and daughters. (Washington Post)
4/ After slapping 10-percent tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese goods, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on virtually all remaining Chinese imports. "We don’t want to do it," Trump said, "but we probably — we'll have no choice." The threat came after China responded to the latest escalation of the ongoing trade war by imposing tariffs on $60 billion of U.S. goods. (South China Morning Post)
Notables.
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/407218-senate-approves-854b-spending-bill
Mueller's plea deal with Paul Manafort took unusual steps to prevent Trump from pardoning his former campaign chairman. The deal contains language that would discourage Trump from pardoning Manafort and limit the impact of a pardon if Trump decides to do so anyway. (Politico / NY Post)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/18/manafort-deal-pardon-mueller-trump-827898
Ted Cruz leads Beto O'Rourke by nine points among likely voters, 54–45. One percent of those polled were undecided. (Texas Tribune / Quinnipiac)
https://www.texastribune.org/2018/09/18/ted-cruz-leads-beto-orourke-54-45-quinnipiac-poll-says/
https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2018/09/19/day-608/
Day 608: "What happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep."
1/ The Trump administration is unable to account for nearly 1,500 additional migrant children who were placed with sponsors after leaving federal shelters. The revelation comes months after a similar admission in April by the Department of Health and Human Services that the government lost track of 1,475 migrants children who were moved out of shelters last year. Since 2016, HHS officials have called sponsors to check on children 30 days after they are placed, but the department has said it can not be held legally responsible for children after they are released from government custody. (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/us/politics/us-migrant-children-whereabouts-.html
2/ Christine Blasey Ford wants the FBI to investigate her allegations against Brett Kavanaugh before senators hold a hearing on the allegations. Ford's attorneys sent a letter to the FBI arguing that "a full investigation by law enforcement officials will ensure that the crucial facts and witnesses in this matter are assessed in a non-partisan manner, and that the Committee is fully informed before conducting any hearing or making any decisions." Ford has not confirmed whether she will attend a public hearing on Monday about her allegations against Kavanaugh. (Washington Post) / New York Times)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/18/politics/ford-letter-fbi/index.html
Kavanaugh in 2015: "What happens at Georgetown Prep, stays at Georgetown Prep." Kavanaugh made the remarks during a speech he gave in 2015 at Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/18/kavanaugh-what-happens-geogetown-prep-828420
George W. Bush reaffirmed his support for Kavanaugh: "Laura and I have known and respected Brett Kavanaugh for decades, and we stand by our comments the night Judge Kavanaugh was nominated." (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/18/george-bush-supports-kavanaugh-827976
3/ Sen. Chuck Grassley canceled a meeting where members of the Senate Judiciary Committee were expected to vote to advance Kavanaugh's confirmation. The meeting was originally scheduled for Thursday morning, and a new date has not been announced. (CNBC / Time)
4/ The FBI and DOJ are expected to defy Trump's order to declassify and release unredacted versions of Carter Page's FISA warrant and text messages sent by agency officials, including former FBI director James Comey. The agencies are expected to submit their documents and propose redactions to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which will package the materials and send them to the White House for approval and release. Doing so would put the agencies in direct conflict with Trump, who has the power to override them and declassify the materials on his own. Some of what Trump requested was already under review for potential declassification. (Bloomberg / Daily Beast)
5/ A new federal court ruling requires political nonprofits to disclose many of their political donors. The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to intervene and grant an emergency request to stay a ruling by a federal judge in Washington. The federal judge threw out a decades-old FEC regulation allowing nonprofits to keep their donors hidden unless the donations were earmarked for specific purposes. (Washington Post / NPR)
Notables.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/18/elaine-chao-government-flights-taxpayers-796004
A senior FEMA official has been suspended without pay in connection with a DHS inspector general investigation into the improper use of government vehicles by FEMA administrator Brock Long. John Vetch was informed of his suspension last Friday, just as FEMA was coordinating the response to Hurricane Florence. (Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/18/fema-official-suspended-probe-827975
Trump again lashed out at Jeff Sessions during an interview on Tuesday. He criticized Sessions on a wide range of issues, including his decision in 2017 to recuse himself from the Russia investigation and immigration issues. "I don’t have an attorney general," Trump said. "It’s very sad." (The Hill)
Stormy Daniels said in her new book that Trump's penis looks like Toad from Mario Kart. "I lay there," Daniels writes, "annoyed that I was getting fucked by a guy with Yeti pubes and a dick like the mushroom character in Mario Kart… It may have been the least impressive sex I’d ever had, but clearly, he didn’t share that opinion.” (Daily Beast / The Guardian)
https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumps-penis-looks-like-toad-from-mario-kart-says-stormy-daniels
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
I still can't get over that.
Where's the Mind Bleach when you need it?
The thing I'm unclear on is what Trump's hoping all the declassifying will accomplish.
He doesn't have the ability to plan more than the next 5 minutes. I'm pretty sure it's a combination of desperation and his Fox News fueled fixation on Comey and Carter Page.
Edited by megaeliz on Sep 19th 2018 at 12:28:58 PM
Figure of Hourai
No, Trump, nobody wants to see your body.
Attacking Sessions again, huh?
Edited by RainehDaze on Sep 19th 2018 at 5:53:55 PM
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Trump: DECLASSIFY EVERYTHING!
FBI/DOJ: Uh, that's a bad idea. Some things need to be redacted for security reas-
Trump: SEE? I'M INNOCENT. I said declassify everything, they didn't want everything out there, so the exonerating stuff has been redacted.
... of course, shorten any word over six characters.
Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.
McConnell issues Supreme Court ultimatum
The Senate GOP leader is vowing to squeeze Democrats with a vote on Brett Kavanaugh right before the midterms if they don’t back down on their demand for documents.
Wasn't that posted back in July? I don't even think it's been updated.
Ah, dangit you're right. I saw the headline about the ultimatum on tv on CNN, looked, and naturally assumed it was more current.
Trump doesn’t like the term ‘deep state’ because ‘it sounds so conspiratorial’ Also: "believe it or not I’m really not a conspiratorial person".
(spits out coffee) ...What?! I'm sorry, WHAT?!
She/her
Isn’t it fascinating how hypocrisy can be so… Lacking in self awareness?
Wait, no, I meant terrifying.
Maybe he's just realized that, given that op-ed, the Deep State is ostensibly on his side.
I feel hypocrisy is an easy bedfellow with no self-awareness.
Especially for a very... Well, That Orange Bastard is not a sophisticated fellow, I think we can agree.
...they set up a list of women to vouch for Kavanaugh? Wow. Is that where we're at?
Right which is why I see no reason to give him the benefit of the doubt, he's already lied to the Senate and the American people repeatedly while under oath.
Thus I feel comfortable saying that he has zero credibility and in a case of "he said she said" I think the he in question is infinitely less trustworthy.
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
She/her
Two other things to keep in mind when judging credibility.
One: for Kavanaugh, this is a job interview. The worst consequence for him here is not getting an incredibly powerful spot on our nation’s highest court. That’s it. No jail time, no fines... just no promotion.
Two: no woman wants the Anita Hill treatment, let alone the Anita Hill treatment plus the internet and the alt-right. What does Professor Blasey Ford stand to gain here? Does anyone truly believe Anita Hill is happy being forever associated with Clarence Hill and a coke can, when she could have been a respected law professor or perhaps risen in the Republican Party like Condoleeza Rice? (yeah, Hill was (is???) a Republican)
Also keep in mind Ford didn't come forward with this until after the story broke and some reporters figured out who she was.
Though records of the accusation exist from long before Kavanaugh was a consideration for the Supreme Court
...there aren't enough curse words in existence to properly respond to this.
"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Like reflections in the glass!
>arguing the ceiling should not be the "sole barometer” by which one measures the country's humanitarianism.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration sucks at every other form of humanitarianism. As Puerto Rico can attest. Its like they're not even try—oh.
Edited by MorningStar1337 on Sep 19th 2018 at 1:39:28 AM
After the midterms, Trump won't have "keeping future Republicans elected" as a driving policy concern, and may see himself as free to go absolutely nuts.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"