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Imca (Veteran)
#252976: Aug 24th 2018 at 2:28:10 PM

[up]Considering they seem to think that they will uphold there word not to aprove a new AG.

Yes.

Edited by Imca on Aug 24th 2018 at 2:30:16 AM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#252977: Aug 24th 2018 at 2:40:30 PM

There is such a thing as a decent Republican at the federal executive/legislative branch level.

His name is Rod Rosenstein. tongue

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#252978: Aug 24th 2018 at 2:47:22 PM

[up]And Robert Mueller.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#252979: Aug 24th 2018 at 2:50:17 PM

Of course, they are public servants first. The elected bunch on the other hand....aren't.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#252980: Aug 24th 2018 at 2:55:27 PM

Yeah Republicans can be decent if they aren't selected by Republican voters in primaries, otherwise they're liable to be scum and the only real exceptions exist in bluer or purpler states.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Kakuzan Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to. from Knock knock, open up the door, it's real. Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Let memes die. Kill them, if you have to.
#252981: Aug 24th 2018 at 2:56:27 PM

For any fellow Floridians, don't forget that the primaries are on the 28th of this month. I've made sure my mail in ballot was received.

Don't catch you slippin' now.
Imca (Veteran)
#252982: Aug 24th 2018 at 3:38:26 PM

Is there any thing particularly noteworthy about it for those of us out of state to watch?

Mario1995 The Dishonorable from Atlanta Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
The Dishonorable
#252983: Aug 24th 2018 at 3:59:31 PM

The Senate primaries and the gubernatorial primaries, for one.

If Rick Scott wins the GOP primary then Bill Nelson is toast. There isn't that much enthusiasm by Dems to keep Nelson in his seat, which is disturbing because they need him to stay in the Senate if they have any chance of recapturing it.

Ron DeSantis is destined to be the GOP nominee for Gov due to the Trumpification of the GOP base in Florida, but the Dem primary will be against Gwen Graham and Philip Levine. Both seem to be more favored than DeSantis if either fights him in the general, but lots of voters are still undecided.

A loss of both the Senate and the Governorship would be devastating for Florida Dems, but for the Parkland movement, it would be an irreparable catastrophe.

Edited by Mario1995 on Aug 24th 2018 at 6:59:43 AM

"The devil's got all the good gear. What's God got? The Inspiral Carpets and nuns. Fuck that." - Liam Gallagher
Mio Since: Jan, 2001
#252984: Aug 24th 2018 at 5:02:59 PM

Rick Scott is pretty much guaranteed to be nominated and I won't be surprised if he wins either since he has way more attack ad money and Bill Nelson is not a very exciting moderate that people are not going to move very fast to defend.

The gubenatorial race is much more of a toss up with the Democrats have a slight advantage depending on if Rob De Santis or Adam Putnam get nominated.

It should be noted that of all of the swing states, Florida has actually stayed somewhat favorable to Trump despite the large Hispanic community and an influx of Puerto Ricans post Hurricane Irma. This is thanks to the large Right-Wing retiree communities that exist throughout the state and will definitely not be going any time soon.

Edited by Mio on Aug 24th 2018 at 8:53:59 AM

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#252985: Aug 24th 2018 at 5:10:26 PM

In an ideal world, people would be more concerned about not letting the Republican take office instead of "ehhh Nelson's boring and doesn't want everything I want" but...

i'm tired, my friend
Imca (Veteran)
#252986: Aug 24th 2018 at 5:19:59 PM

In a world that worked right at all, a guy responsible for the largest medicare fraud in history wouldn't be the govener of a state full of old people.

Let alone there senator.

[up][up] & [up][up][up]

Noted, so our friends down south have the senate race lost already?

Edited by Imca on Aug 24th 2018 at 5:20:07 AM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#252987: Aug 24th 2018 at 5:24:59 PM

It’s not lost already, but it’s not going well, Scott is consistently showing a lead in the polls.

It’s also not the worst seat for the Dems to defend, that’s North Dakota, which looks to be in worse shape.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#252988: Aug 24th 2018 at 5:41:49 PM

A Republican's word is worth less than the air used to speak it. Lindsay Graham's already backed off on protecting Sessions.

Yes, but wasn't Graham that politician who, towards the end of last year, went on a unusual golfing trip with Trump and mysteriously came out of the day singing Trump's praises and being more supportive of him since than he was previously, making the press wonder exactly what happened that day on the golf course?

Edited by Wyldchyld on Aug 24th 2018 at 1:44:12 PM

If my post doesn't mention a giant flying sperm whale with oversized teeth and lionfish fins for flippers, it just isn't worth reading.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#252989: Aug 24th 2018 at 6:37:44 PM

In an ideal world, people would be more concerned about not letting the Republican take office instead of "ehhh Nelson's boring and doesn't want everything I want" but...

Blue voters have a terrible problem with letting the perfect be the enemy of the good.

The whole reason politics in this country are competitive despite the significantly larger number of liberals to conservatives is that the Right turns out to vote in lockstep while the Left demands to be "inspired" by their candidate.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#252990: Aug 24th 2018 at 7:04:22 PM

[up]Well that and various methods of voter suppression and gerrymandering, we absolutely should criticize the unreasonable and unrealistic standards amongst vast swathes of the left but it would be a mistake to ignore the ways the Republicans are benefited by the system and how they've made it benefit them.

Not to mention that right-wing voters only step in line because they have a unified ideological basis of white supremacy, Democrats don't really have any equivalent and thus are going to be more disparate.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Aug 24th 2018 at 10:04:36 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#252991: Aug 24th 2018 at 7:11:51 PM

They have a lot of unified ideological bases. White supremacy, male supremacy, Christian supremacy, wealthy supremacy, heterosexual supremacy....

If you're an empowered demographic and want to protect your privilege, the Republicans are where you go to do that.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Aug 24th 2018 at 8:12:15 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#252992: Aug 24th 2018 at 7:13:54 PM

[up]Quite.

Might as well call it something like "traditional supremacy", they support the traditional hierarchies which involve all of those things. Hence why they viewed Clinton and Obama as so corrupt and treasonous, both intrinsically violated those traditional hierarchies by existing in power.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Aug 24th 2018 at 10:16:15 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252993: Aug 24th 2018 at 7:32:00 PM

The whole reason politics in this country are competitive despite the significantly larger number of liberals to conservatives is that the Right turns out to vote in lockstep while the Left demands to be "inspired" by their candidate.

The movie Milk starring Sean Penn had a decent argument against this, pointing out for gays in America the Democrats were less hostile than Republicans but they weren't going to get anywhere until they started fielding their own candidates and moving the agenda.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Robrecht Your friendly neighbourhood Regent from The Netherlands Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Your friendly neighbourhood Regent
#252994: Aug 24th 2018 at 7:40:33 PM

The appeal to tradition is also why, historically, the right will always, always, eventually lose (ground if not completely) to the left.

Because with exception of the achievement of a true communist utopia, which will never happen, the traditional power structure will always empower and disadvantage various groups and those disadvantaged groups will always fight against the status quo, eventually band together and members from those disadvantaged groups will use the power they gain from being part of a different empowered group to achieve support from people who are not in a disadvantaged group at all.

(Reactionaries, generally, are the way they are not because they have power and they want to keep it, that would be regular Conservatives... Reactionaries are those Conservatives who have twigged to the fact that there will probably always be a disadvantaged group and they fear that if the current one becomes empowered, they themselves will be the new disadvantaged group... This has, historically, almost never happened.)

Angry gets shit done.
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#252995: Aug 24th 2018 at 7:55:46 PM

While there is a large hispanic comunity in florida, I think most of it are cubans who usually are right wing after living in a left wing dictatorship.

Also another reason is because republican is a more top-down leadership with more nacionalism in their rethoric.

So is not like the dems need to be inspired while the republicans dosent, is just that they are already inspired already.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#252996: Aug 25th 2018 at 12:05:09 AM

Kremlin Sources Go Quiet, Leaving C.I.A. in the Dark About Putin’s Plans for Midterms:

In 2016, American intelligence agencies delivered urgent and explicit warnings about Russia’s intentions to try to tip the American presidential election — and a detailed assessment of the operation afterward — thanks in large part to informants close to President Vladimir V. Putin and in the Kremlin who provided crucial details.

But two years later, the vital Kremlin informants have largely gone silent, leaving the C.I.A. and other spy agencies in the dark about precisely what Mr. Putin’s intentions are for November’s midterm elections, according to American officials familiar with the intelligence.

The officials do not believe the sources have been compromised or killed. Instead, they have concluded they have gone to ground amid more aggressive counterintelligence by Moscow, including efforts to kill spies, like the poisoning in March in Britain of a former Russian intelligence officer that utilized a rare Russian-made nerve agent.

Current and former officials also said the expulsion of American intelligence officers from Moscow has hurt collection efforts. And officials also raised the possibility that the outing of an F.B.I. informant under scrutiny by the House intelligence committee — an examination encouraged by President Trump — has had a chilling effect on intelligence collection.

Technology companies and political campaigns in recent weeks have detected a plethora of political interference efforts originating overseas, including hacks of Republican think tanks and fake liberal grass-roots organizations created on Facebook. Senior intelligence officials, including Dan Coats, the director of national intelligence, have warned that Russians are intent on subverting American democratic institutions.

But American intelligence agencies have not been able to say precisely what are Mr. Putin’s intentions: He could be trying to tilt the midterm elections, simply sow chaos or generally undermine trust in the democratic process.

The officials, seeking to protect methods of collection from Russia, would not provide details about lost sources, but acknowledged the degradation in the information collected from Russia. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to reveal classified information. A spokesman for the C.I.A. declined to comment.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#252997: Aug 25th 2018 at 7:30:30 AM

If Trump refuses aid or drags his feet on aid to Hawaii just because the state votes Democrat, that would be the ultimate in douchebaggery. Not that I would put it past him.

Edited by speedyboris on Aug 25th 2018 at 9:30:03 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#252998: Aug 25th 2018 at 7:33:31 AM

(Reactionaries, generally, are the way they are not because they have power and they want to keep it, that would be regular Conservatives... Reactionaries are those Conservatives who have twigged to the fact that there will probably always be a disadvantaged group and they fear that if the current one becomes empowered, they themselves will be the new disadvantaged group... This has, historically, almost never happened.)

Historically, it happens when the ruling elite fights tooth and nail to keep the other side down even in the face of any reform or freedoms.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#252999: Aug 25th 2018 at 11:39:43 AM

In order to ease wait times, the Texas Department of Public Safety has made a proposal to the state Legislature to shutter 87 low customer, single employee, sites with safety issues, or had to be vacated DMV locations across the state and move those personnel and other resources to other locations; Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick hates the idea and suggests the TXDPS start a campaign to push people to use online resources instead of going to the a DMV unless they need to.

    Article 
AUSTIN — The Texas Department of Public Safety says it has a solution for the hours-long lines at driver's license offices: closing 87 of them.

Shuttering offices with fewer customers would allow the agency to move staff and other resources to offices that serve more people, which could help shorten wait times, according to a state report.

DPS spokesman Tom Vinger said the preliminary list, which includes four offices in Dallas-Fort Worth, was created after the report suggested the agency "develop and implement a plan to close inefficient driver license offices" and maximize resources across the state.

On Friday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick became the most high-profile Texas lawmaker to express his opposition to the department's recommendation.

"I do not support the closing of these DPS offices," Patrick said in a written statement. "I believe the Senators on the Sunset Committee will also make their voice clear on this next week."

The state's Sunset Commission — 10 lawmakers and two members of the public — will meet next week and will decide which recommendations to forward to the Legislature when it convenes in January. The commission is tasked with identifying and eliminating waste, duplication and inefficiencies in state agencies.

Patrick said the biggest problem for DPS license offices is that a majority of people visit them to renew their driver's licenses when they could do so online. He said the department needs to develop a more aggressive plan for educating drivers about renewing online.

"I will be working in the next legislative session to ensure that DPS has the personnel and equipment needed so drivers can renew their license as quickly and easily as possible," he said. "However, the fastest and best way to significantly cut wait times now is simply to let the thousands of Texans who show up everyday, and don't need to be there, know that they can renew their license online."

The Plano, Denton, Greenville and Fort Worth East facilities are on the list, as well as 78 offices that are the only ones in their counties. Elected officials from those areas are pushing back on the department's plan, saying Texans in rural areas would be the most harmed and would be required to travel longer distances to a license office.

The department based its recommendations on whether an office served less than 5,000 people each year; was staffed by only one DPS employee; had outdated safety issues; or had to be vacated.

The Denton office is on the list because of safety and capacity issues. It was built in 1978 and has only five workstations, which requires customers to wait outside to avoid a fire code violation. It also lacks parking and has no room for expansion, the department wrote in its report.

The department said Denton customers could instead use the mega center in Carrollton — about 24 miles away. The center and one in Garland have experienced hours-long waits this summer after smaller offices, including Denton, Plano and Rockwall, started limiting services as part of a summer initiative.

The program, designed to ease wait times and keep people out of the heat, encourages customers to visit mega centers or use the agency's online portal. According to the Department of Public Safety, more than 3.6 million people who visited DPS offices in 2017 didn't need to do so.

Jim Allison, general counsel for the County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas, said if the 78 offices that are the only one in their counties close, customers would have to drive 50 miles each way to another office, adding about $3.9 million in travel costs.

He asked members of the Sunset Commission on Aug. 9 to reject the department's recommendation.

Eight state senators and 16 representatives have also urged the Sunset Commission to reject the department's recommendation, saying it would hit rural areas the hardest.

"As a state we made a commitment to provide services to all citizens, even in the most rural areas. We have been told the dollar savings from the closings of the 87 offices would amount to approximately $760,000," they wrote. "However, the wasted dollars and inefficiencies suffered by the citizens of these rural counties will in the long run exceed the savings."

The department said it offered a plan under which 99 percent of Texans would be within 30 to 50 miles of a license office. For those who aren't, DPS would encourage counties and municipalities to allow an employee to offer its services. The agency would also explore periodically sending mobile units to these areas.

Edited by tclittle on Aug 25th 2018 at 1:41:58 PM

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#253000: Aug 25th 2018 at 11:46:49 AM

Which is totally not an attempt to implement voter suppression by making one of the main forms of mandated voter ID harder to get.

"Yup. That tasted purple."

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