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LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#266451: Jan 10th 2019 at 1:48:25 PM

Isn't that Texas story old? Are they trying again, or is it another Muslim vice-chairman or whatever in a different Texas county?

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#266452: Jan 10th 2019 at 1:48:50 PM

Nah ask France to send over a second Statue of Liberty, but with the inscription in Spanish, put that on the southern border.

Only if America pays for it.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#266453: Jan 10th 2019 at 1:54:02 PM

I dunno, the fence law was not such a big thing back then. There was a clash between Bush who wanted immigration reform and House hardliners who wanted the wooden club.

Aye, Texas story is old.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jan 10th 2019 at 10:54:24 AM

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#266454: Jan 10th 2019 at 1:59:16 PM

[up]

It may have been initially reported on a while ago, but a vote as to whether the guy is going to get unceremoniously booted from a party position is happening today. Unfortunately, I can easily see it passing through despite objections from other members of the GOP within the State, as the most motivated people would be the ones pissed off over his inclusion as a party official. The guy in question even throws a lampshade on how this has been a recurring issue for him.

“This is, unfortunately, not the first time that people or my political opponents have tried to use my religion against me to distract the voters,” Shafi, who declined to be interviewed by The Texas Tribune before Thursday’s vote, told The Washington Post. “And unfortunately, I don’t think it will be the last either.”

And for the record, even Ted Cruz is defending the guy. And for added infuriation...

Thursday’s motion “is about religious prejudice,” said Darl Easton, the Tarrant County GOP Chairman who appointed Shafi to his role in July.

“[Shafi’s] very active with the party, but most of the people don’t even care about what he’s done,” Easton said. “Most of them already have a prejudice against Muslims, and a lot of that comes from the attack on 9/11 and the Shariah law they claim all Muslims must obey.”

It’s unclear whether Thursday’s vote will happen in public, behind closed doors or be delayed indefinitely, Easton said. The Star-Telegram reported that, since the movement to remove Shafi has picked up steam, it has expanded to also target some of his defenders, including Easton and a Republican party official who is married to a Muslim.

Edited by ironballs16 on Jan 10th 2019 at 5:02:20 AM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#266455: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:10:02 PM

Honestly, if the Republicans get SO racist that they start kicking out even their own Token Minorities, I'm not going to be too broken up. The Republicans eating their own tails only weakens them and might make the voters who are convinced the Republicans aren't racist wake up to reality.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from Second Star to the left (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Disasturbator
#266456: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:14:11 PM

Mitch blocks the bills that would reopen the Government

This is typical of Mitch if I'm honest.

This when you go all out and spam him with bills until he gives in

New theme music also a box
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#266457: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:17:24 PM

[up] Mitch won't blink without Trump, and Trump won't blink until he's forced to, which I'm betting won't be for another 31 days at least.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#266458: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:22:39 PM

Mitch will absolutely blink without Trump, he just has to decide that the costs are outweighed by the benefits.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
TobiasDrake Queen of Good Things, Honest (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Queen of Good Things, Honest
#266459: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:23:57 PM

Just to throw in my two cents on the earlier AOC conversation, my position on her is mixed.

I didn't like her campaign rhetoric or her links to Sanders and his ilk.

I still rooted for her to win her primary after Crowley didn't even give her the dignity of showing up to their first debate. Like, I'd have understood if he was held up in Congress, but he was at a social event across town so f*ck him. I expect my career Democrats to behave more professionally than that.

I didn't like her and Sanders buddying up to push back against Emily's List candidates and try to get "Sanders-style Progressive" candidates into Democratic nominations instead. Her fondness for Sanders and his agenda remain problematic for me to this day.

I love basically everything she's done since winning the election and am excited to see where she goes from here. And she also seems to be buddying up to Pelosi which makes me feel better.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jan 10th 2019 at 3:25:13 AM

My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#266460: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:24:59 PM

[up]This is pretty much exactly my opinion of her too.

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
TobiasDrake Queen of Good Things, Honest (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Queen of Good Things, Honest
#266461: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:25:33 PM

Oh, and I find it absolutely hilarious that she's already faced her first deadly scandal in office, and it's the shocking reveal to the public that AOC is secretly adorable.

My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#266462: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:30:00 PM

[up]

It's like the Beto thing all over again. wink

Welcome to Estalia, gentlemen.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#266463: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:30:53 PM

Yeah, her initial connections to Sanders had me a bit concerned. During that first fiasco about her supposedly staging a protest against Pelosi I was worried but hesitant to really say much because it would have been a bit of a bad look to dogpile on a Wo C because she was too concerned over climate change. My hunch turned out to be correct when the whole thing was a misrepresentation of the situation anyways and since then Ocasio-Cortez has carried herself pretty admirably so I don't really have a problem with her.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Jan 10th 2019 at 6:34:20 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#266464: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:32:55 PM

Mitch is using Trump as a club for what he perceives as the national GOP agenda. It's allowed him to do a lot more than he would have normally because he abases himself before the Dark Lord.

Before Trump, Mitch was just the extremist wing of the GOP. Now he is the GOP.

And if people think he'll blink first, I remind you Mitch has no shame.

  • The Supreme Court deferral for months and months
  • After the State Senate had enough support to legalize marijuana in Kentucky, chose not to simply allow the vote for it until next quarter and continued on until the delay came back....and then delayed it again.

Also, I don't think supporting the GOP's racism on the basis that it will weaken them is a good strategy since I'd rather a obnoxious bunch of assholes that are effective than an extremely radicalized bunch of semi-effective ones. The consequences for the latter are more than the consequences of the former.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jan 10th 2019 at 2:36:50 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#266465: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:36:43 PM

Steve King asks how terms 'white nationalist' and 'white supremacist' became offensive.

White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization - how did that language become offensive?" King asked in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday. "Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization?"

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#266466: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:36:59 PM

Who is supporting Republican racism?

"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -Hylarn
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#266467: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:38:00 PM

I wish someone would give him answers:

  • When most white people stopped being scumbags.
  • When people realized that other races were human beings.
  • They always were, it was just you who were offensive

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#266468: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:38:04 PM

Evil Turtle isn't really an ideologue. He's the kind of "do whatever is needed to keep me in power" type.

Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jan 10th 2019 at 11:38:27 AM

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#266469: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:41:07 PM

Yeah my read on Mitch has always been that he's completely amoral. He seems to run entirely on "If it will help me/the party remain in power, then full steam ahead" no matter how unconscionable, dishonest and hypocritical it is. He has no shame.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#266470: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:45:16 PM

I also strongly suspect that future historians will find that a lot of Trump's court and executive nominations were proposed by Mitch, including Kavanaugh, Pruitt and Co. Perhaps many of his other deeds as well.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#266471: Jan 10th 2019 at 2:56:05 PM

In 2018, he also defended his association with a far-right Austrian group with links to the Nazi Party and hard-line views on immigration.

“If they were in America pushing the platform that they push, they would be Republicans,” King told The Washington Post last October.

I wonder if he's aware of the implications.

Welcome to Estalia, gentlemen.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from a handcart heading to Hell Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#266472: Jan 10th 2019 at 3:04:52 PM

Man King is scum, he’s the kind of scum I expect to fail upwards within the Republican Party, hopefully he ends up as a Republican senate candidate at some point and gives the Dems a seat.

"And the Bunny nails it!" ~ Gabrael "If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we." ~ Cyran
TobiasDrake Queen of Good Things, Honest (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
Queen of Good Things, Honest
#266473: Jan 10th 2019 at 3:16:36 PM

I don't hope that.

We got Trump as President and nearly got Roy Moore on the Senate. I'd rather not have godawful human beings on the ballot, as the alternative risks them actually making it into office. We live in a country where the question, "Should a pedophile, rapist, Nazi, etc. be your elected official?" is a really hard question for our populace to answer, requiring much deliberation and a very close race.

I'd very much like a 0% chance of a future President or Senator Nazi, and I don't have the benefit of doubt that Americans would immediately reject such a candidate anymore.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Jan 10th 2019 at 4:18:55 AM

My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from a handcart heading to Hell Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#266474: Jan 10th 2019 at 3:20:52 PM

That’s a fair point, in the end though I think it’s the likely path, King represents exactly what the Republican Party is about now, open, unabashed racism and hatred. He just makes sense as the Republican choice next time a big office opens up in Iowa. We just have to hope he looses.

"And the Bunny nails it!" ~ Gabrael "If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we." ~ Cyran
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#266475: Jan 10th 2019 at 3:21:56 PM

Mitch not being an ideologue doesn't explain his constant neverending attacks on welfare, the poor, social security, the opiod epidemic, ACA, medicaid, legalization of marijuana, prison reform, and virtually anything that could benefit anyone who isn't rich and white.

He is one of the most hardline reactionary Republicans in Congress.

His policies have literally killed tens of thousands of people.

I wonder if he's aware of the implications.

A lot of Republicans never saw a problem with the Nazis other than they lost.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jan 10th 2019 at 3:23:30 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.

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