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Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#261476: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:12:39 AM

> Because that's the truth.

Two words

PROVIDE PROOF.

(Actual sources pretty please)

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#261477: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:12:43 AM

Democrats are already working on their first bill in the House, intended to strengthen democratic institutions across the country.

Party leaders say the first legislative vote in the House will come on H.R. 1, a magnum opus of provisions that Democrats believe will strengthen U.S. democratic institutions and traditions.

...

The bill would establish automatic voter registration and reinvigorate the Voting Rights Act, crippled by a Supreme Court decision in 2013. It would take away redistricting power from state legislatures and give it to independent commissions.

Other provisions would overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling, which declared political spending is First Amendment free speech; they would mandate more disclosure of outside money and establish a public financing match for small contributions.

AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#261478: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:15:48 AM

But someone like John Bolton has both the portfolio and malice to intentionally create a situation like this and know what he's doing.

And I still remember of the other Bolton whenever John Bolton is mentioned.

Edited by AngelusNox on Nov 12th 2018 at 1:18:20 PM

Inter arma enim silent leges
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#261479: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:22:18 AM

There is no way the Senate will agree to that.

Do it anyway! Publicize it! Then make them refute it publicly! Every popular bill the Senate rejects is another vote for D in 2020. I want to see Mitch on the news every other weekend going, "Nyagh, I think Americans don't actually want babies to live so I'm not going to pass free healthcare for babies, nyagh."

Also if we can get enough Republican defectors we might actually be able to pass one or two so, y'know. Let's roll them dice.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Nov 12th 2018 at 8:23:31 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#261480: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:23:44 AM

[up]HOUSE: Voting rights and healthcare for all!

SENATE: Fuck that shit.

VOTERS: Well, guess I know who I'm voting for.

Basically that.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#261481: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:26:40 AM

Eeyup. Voters have a memory span of like five months but they vote based on what feels right to them, and that's heavily rooted in their sense of normalcy.

For the next two years, we need to define "normal" as progressive bills that people want being shut down and blocked at every turn by Republican dickbags. We want our voters to be as angry in 2020 as they were in 2018.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Nov 12th 2018 at 8:27:16 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#261482: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:28:42 AM

There are some other issues with that proposed bill, namely that Congress does not have the power to override the Supreme Court on laws previously deemed unconstitutional (i.e., the Citizens United ruling), unless the Court changes its mind on the matter in question. With a 5-4 conservative majority, that's almost certainly not happening.

The bill is doomed in a variety of ways, which makes it pure political grandstanding, but it's the sort of grandstanding that is meant to set the tone for the upcoming House as focused squarely on progressive priorities.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#261483: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:39:50 AM

Two words

PROVIDE PROOF.

(Actual sources pretty please)

My sources are more of a reading list, really:

Bob Woodward's 'Bush at War' series, particularly volume 3 'State of Denial'

David Corn and Michael Isikoff's book 'Hubris'.

And I should perhaps modify the claim to say that while it's not conclusively provable that the civilian leadership intentionally kept the troops poorly supplied to make them more aggressive, it is very much conclusive that said aggression being encouraged by poor supplies is no small part of why the civilian leadership did not make fixing the supply situation a higher priority.

Angry gets shit done.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#261484: Nov 12th 2018 at 7:54:10 AM

Congress can invalidate a Court ruling by banning the Court from taking up certain cases on a certain topic. It's called "jurisdiction stripping" and is based on Article 3 Section 2: " In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Congress shall make" emphasis mine.

It is a very ham-fisted approach that is seldom taken, though. And I am not sure how it would deal with court rulings before the stripping; it's certainly possible for the Court to say "Well, we did previously rule that X law on topic Y was unconstitutional but since then law Z was passed which bans us from discussing the topic Y so we can't rule on law X1 even though it's identical to X" but I don't know if they would do so.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#261485: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:01:04 AM

[up][up]So...no actual proof.

Disgusted, but not surprised
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#261486: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:13:51 AM

From the developing What the Fuck Just Happened Today feed:

Democrats in the House are preparing to probe almost every aspect of Trump's life and work. Democrats plan to target at least 85 different topics for potential subpoena and investigation, including Trump's taxes, his family business, and his targeting of the press. (Axios / ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-democrats-plan-review-trumps-role-hush-money/story?id=59127265

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#261487: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:19:42 AM

[up] Better buckle up kids, things are really about to get interesting.

Edited by megaeliz on Nov 12th 2018 at 11:20:56 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#261488: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:25:49 AM

[up][up][up]

Which makes it a conspiracy theory

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#261489: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:34:29 AM

You guys realize that Bob Woodward is an incredibly well respected journalist, right? He broke the Watergate story with Bernstein. A plausible theory from a deeply researched book is not the same thing as a “conspiracy” theory or “zero proof.”

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#261490: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:37:20 AM

It is without something more specific than "Hey, look at this, it's in here I swear".

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#261491: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:46:33 AM

Ummm....

This is an actual thing. Apparently, the ad ran on Fox News today, and is trending Number 4 on Twitter. (It’s also apparently made in China.)

Edited by megaeliz on Nov 12th 2018 at 11:51:57 AM

Cris_Meyers reluctant author, willing misanthrope from Chicagoland (Fifth Year at Tropey's) Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
reluctant author, willing misanthrope
#261492: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:52:57 AM

Oh God, that thing's back?

They've been selling it off and on since 2016. I couldn't decide if it was sincere or someone trying to take advantage of Trumpists.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#261493: Nov 12th 2018 at 8:54:15 AM

[up] If you want to talk about disrespect of the flag.....

And here’s the specific sections of Flag Code that it violates:

Section 176 of the flag code: "The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free."

"The flag should never be used for advertising purposes in any manner whatsoever. It should not be embroidered on such articles as cushions or handkerchiefs and the like, printed or otherwise impressed on paper napkins or boxes or anything that . . . "

I do love how the woman is wrapped up in her blanket, hugging a flagpole though.

Edited by megaeliz on Nov 12th 2018 at 12:05:29 PM

Demongodofchaos2 Face me now, bitch! from In a Cultivation World (Ancient one) Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Face me now, bitch!
#261494: Nov 12th 2018 at 9:25:39 AM

Sinema has been declared the winner in Arizona.

Watch Symphogear
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#261495: Nov 12th 2018 at 9:30:57 AM

I read Operation Faithful Patriot as Faithful Parrot...
Well, when this whole thing is over, then you can declare it is an ex-parrot.
Sinema has been declared the winner in Arizona.
So the senate is now 52-48?

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#261496: Nov 12th 2018 at 9:35:12 AM

Assuming that Florida goes to the Republicans, that's an +2 R net gain in the Senate. Not good, but it could have been far worse. The Senate is certainly in play in 2020.

Meanwhile, 538's projection for the House was D+38, as of yesterday.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#261497: Nov 12th 2018 at 9:36:18 AM

[up][up]Well, it's currently 51-47, since Mississippi and Florida haven't been called yet. But since both of those are expected to go Red, we're most likely looking at 53-47 when all is said and done.

Edited by Gilphon on Nov 12th 2018 at 12:36:51 PM

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#261499: Nov 12th 2018 at 10:05:34 AM

Think they're jumping the gun there because not even her twitter has been updated to say she's won.

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#261500: Nov 12th 2018 at 10:39:49 AM

So the senate is now 52-48?

Which means 3 defectors required to block anything in the Senate (Congressional nominees, mostly). 13 to pass a law.

Which is only slightly shittier than the previous Senate, which was 2 to block, ERROR: NOT APPLICABLE to pass a law.

If we can just get one more contested election to flip our way, we break even.

The number of required defectors is important. Remember that the ACA was saved only by Republican defections. A party-line vote could have killed it at any of the innumerable attempts in 2016.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Nov 12th 2018 at 11:41:16 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.

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