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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#254901: Sep 16th 2018 at 5:45:32 PM

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) says that upcoming Vote to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court should be put on hold to look into the Sexual Assault Claims laid against him.

We should all hold our breath, but this might be good for us if Flake holds onto his word (which, again, we should hold our breath on).

Still, the simple fact it's a Republican Senator doing this ought to be worth noting.

Edited by sgamer82 on Sep 16th 2018 at 6:45:21 AM

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#254902: Sep 16th 2018 at 5:48:56 PM

"Now is not the time to ONCE AGAIN be caught defending sexual predators"?

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#254903: Sep 16th 2018 at 5:53:20 PM

It's nice to see Flake finally putting his money where his mouth is, for a guy who's an outspoken critic of Trump (and retiring) he has been remarkably reticent to actually do anything.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#254904: Sep 16th 2018 at 6:04:49 PM

[up]He has not done anything, yet. Like Collins and Murkowski, wait until the votes are tallied before giving them a shred of credit-until then, their words are worth less than nothing; at least the rest of the GOP makes no bones about how badly they want to oppress and kill people.

Edited by ViperMagnum357 on Sep 16th 2018 at 9:07:29 AM

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#254905: Sep 16th 2018 at 6:06:12 PM

Fair enough.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#254906: Sep 16th 2018 at 6:38:37 PM

Also keep in mind that Flake is on the Judiciary committee that's voting on whether or not to move Kavanaugh forward. So that might make this a touch more notable.

JBC31187 Since: Jan, 2015
#254907: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:02:05 PM

Yeah, the basic rule with the current Republican party is: "They're lying except when they're not." If Flake does something useful, I'll be surprised.

And the hell of it is, the Republicans could boot Trump and be hailed as heroes for it by the both-siders and the self-declared independents. Even if the Democrats do well in the next two elections, there's a good chance the Republicans will be back in two or less years. The retiring Republicans could save actual lives and won't do shit.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#254908: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:05:57 PM

Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) is joining Flake in asking for a delay on voting for Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court Vote, at least until his Accuser is heard in Congress.

Just like with Flake, I'm holding my breath, but it would actually be nice if they were true to their word. Basically what [up] said when it comes to Republicans and disagreeing with something, only to vote for it anyways.

Edited by DingoWalley1 on Sep 16th 2018 at 10:05:28 AM

JBC31187 Since: Jan, 2015
#254909: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:12:04 PM

I have to say, I'm a little surprised it took this long to confirm him. Small victories are still victories.

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#254910: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:19:57 PM

Ehh. It's in their political interests to have the confirmation after the midterms, because that way they can use it to motivate their base. That's probably why they've let it get pushed back this far.

Let's not give them moral credit for this; even in the unlikely scenario where Kavanaugh goes down, it's not like Trump is gonna nominate somebody reasonable instead. And nor is it like the Democrats will be able to stall for another two full years.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#254911: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:23:37 PM

[up]Technically, if the Democrats take the Senate (unlikely, but possible), then they can legitimately stall any and all Court Nominees for 2 years, especially if they're extreme like Gorsuch and Kavanaugh. There's also historical precedent; when Andrew Johnson became President, the Radical Republicans literally removed 2 Seats on the Supreme Court just to keep him from getting any Seats filled.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#254912: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:31:21 PM

Hell they're precedent just from the last two and a half years.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#254913: Sep 16th 2018 at 7:32:04 PM

Ehh. It's in their political interests to have the confirmation after the midterms, because that way they can use it to motivate their base. That's probably why they've let it get pushed back this far.

Let's not give them moral credit for this; even in the unlikely scenario where Kavanaugh goes down, it's not like Trump is gonna nominate somebody reasonable instead. And nor is it like the Democrats will be able to stall for another two full years.

Considering how post-midterms there is a very real chance that there will be a Democratic or tied Senate I think you're mistaken about it being in their political interests to wait.

If they delay this in anyway then I feel safe calling it a moral move, politically the wisest move for them is to push through his confirmation right now hence why the Republicans have been so secretive about it and have been rushing it through.

If Flake and Co decide to do otherwise then I think that's something worthy of praise and respect.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Sep 16th 2018 at 10:43:26 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#254914: Sep 16th 2018 at 8:56:17 PM

Don't put any faith in Flake. He was the most hated senator in 2013 when he promised families in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook shooting that he would vote for gun control and background checks and that he wouldn't allow himself to be influenced by the NRA right before he voted to filibuster said background check bill. He's a liar and a cad.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#254915: Sep 16th 2018 at 9:00:33 PM

As others have said, I'll only give him credit if and when he puts his vote where his mouth is. Not a second sooner.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#254916: Sep 16th 2018 at 9:29:31 PM

The difference between Jaws and the Republican Party is the Mayor in Jaws felt guilt when his actions got people killed.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#254917: Sep 16th 2018 at 9:34:06 PM

He got his Muslim ban past SCOTUS because the court lost its nerve, not because he actually made it non-racist.

That's my point. He didn't actually have to change it overmuch.

The Supreme Court can't just put "Absolutely not 'cause I said so" as a reason of rejection. They actually have to give a rationale for which specific pieces of the legislature are unconstitutional and why. They didn't send it back with the words "F*ck No" stamped on it; they said, "This is unconstitutional because of this, this, and this."

The Administration then took those specific quibble points the court was clinging to in order to reject the bill and tweaked them just enough for another go. And they kept doing that until the Supreme Court didn't have any quibble points they could use to block it.

That's the point. If the Supreme Court rejects single-payer, it's not going to come back with "Not in MUH AMERICA, MOTHERF*CKERS" as the ruling. The ruling will say things like, "Article 6, subsection B uses the unacceptably vague terminology of "some" where a more precise measurement is required."

So you go back to the table, you tweak the bill so they don't have a leg to stand on anymore, and then you send it in for another go.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#254918: Sep 16th 2018 at 9:50:58 PM

[up][up]I'll point out that the reason the Mayor in Jaws felt bad was because his own kids were also endangered. A more cynical take would be that he wouldn't have cared that much if his kids weren't also at the beach.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#254919: Sep 16th 2018 at 9:51:20 PM

If this results in Amy Barrett getting appointed to SCOTUS, it'll have all been worth it.

ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#254920: Sep 16th 2018 at 9:57:20 PM

[up][up]In the book, the Mayor was also in bed with the Mob, making his motivations both more and less sympathetic (money, and also not getting killed by his business partners he was heavily indebted to.)

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#254921: Sep 16th 2018 at 10:19:25 PM

The Administration then took those specific quibble points the court was clinging to in order to reject the bill and tweaked them just enough for another go. And they kept doing that until the Supreme Court didn't have any quibble points they could use to block it.
Yeah, no. Not even close to what happened.

In a 5-to-4 vote, the court’s conservatives said that the president’s power to secure the country’s borders, delegated by Congress over decades of immigration lawmaking, was not undermined by Mr. Trump’s history of incendiary statements about the dangers he said Muslims pose to the United States.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said that Mr. Trump had ample statutory authority to make national security judgments in the realm of immigration. And the chief justice rejected a constitutional challenge to Mr. Trump’s third executive order on the matter, issued in September as a proclamation.

The court’s liberals denounced the decision. In a passionate and searing dissent from the bench, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the decision was no better than Korematsu v. United States, the 1944 decision that endorsed the detention of Japanese-Americans during World War II.

[up][up] She’s still a nightmare, albeit not to Kavanaugh’s level.

Edited by wisewillow on Sep 16th 2018 at 1:27:15 PM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#254922: Sep 16th 2018 at 11:38:47 PM

Jaws is thematically similar to a famous play which is notably quite relevant to this day. AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE by Henrik Ibsen which is shockingly relevant to this day. You can read the TV tropes of the play but the short version is that there's a tourist town which is going to open to massive success with hot springs but the hot springs have been contaminated and will kill people. The local scientist tries to point this out and how to fix it, only for him to get run out of town.

The thing is that the hot springs are STILL poisoned and denying the problem won't make it go away.

Does This Remind You of Anything??

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Sep 16th 2018 at 11:38:22 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
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
#254923: Sep 17th 2018 at 1:46:00 AM

I’d note that even if this nomination falls though and the Dems take the senate, the Republicans could try and speed run another nominee though between November (the elections) and January (when the new senate is seated).

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#254924: Sep 17th 2018 at 2:02:02 AM

And if that happens, I have no doubt that the next nominee will be someone even worse than Kavanaugh. It seems to be the trend with this administration. They're constantly lowering the bar.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#254925: Sep 17th 2018 at 2:09:11 AM

Depends on whether Flake does decide to drop the mic by denying Kavanaugh.

[up]Well, if the Dems get the Senate, it doesn't matter who the Administration wants to nominate.


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