TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The General US Politics Thread

Go To

Nov 2023 Mod notice:


There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.

If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.

Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.

If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules when posting here.


In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.

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

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#274201: Mar 12th 2019 at 3:36:11 PM

[up][up]IIRC, they sneaked a line saying 'no building a wall over the butterfly sanctuary (and a few other places in similar situations)' into the budget they finally got Trump to sign.

[up]actually reading the article, it's a smaller deal than the headline implies. It was an office he didn't really use that was there to symbolize how closely Pence was working with Paul Ryan. Since that's obviously not a thing that's happening anymore, there's no point devoting office space to it, especially given that we're talking about the building where office space is a prized resource that needs to be carefully conserved.

Edited by Gilphon on Mar 12th 2019 at 6:42:02 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#274202: Mar 12th 2019 at 3:53:09 PM

I saw office removal and assumed he was being removed from his position,got my hopes and everything

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#274203: Mar 12th 2019 at 3:56:51 PM

https://apnews.com/c87e200f99844d649788e90b588a0d49

I'm not sure how to react to a story that begins, "So they finally got around to testing 100K rape kits. 1K arrests. Still plenty of backlog."

In Chicago when they did this they found over 800 serial rapists.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Mar 12th 2019 at 3:58:43 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#274204: Mar 12th 2019 at 4:03:52 PM

Willing to bet there's plenty of other cases where those came from but the victims never came out because of lack of faith in the system.

It's the same, horrible story, pretty much everywhere.

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#274205: Mar 12th 2019 at 4:04:35 PM

[up][up]I'm with you on the "I think that's seven or eight emotions at once" thing.

Good. Dammit. Bloody hell. Yick. Um. Eek. Yay. Phew. Argh!

Edited by Euodiachloris on Mar 12th 2019 at 11:05:27 AM

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#274206: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:07:43 PM

These caught my attention on today's WTFJHT feed.

"There might be a second Mueller report." There might be a second Mueller report. Since Mueller's appointment, he's been conducting a counterintelligence investigation, while "also" assessing whether any crimes were committed. Unlike a criminal report, a Mueller counterintelligence report must be shared with Congress. Both the House and Senate intelligence committees are legally entitled to be given reports – in writing – of significant intelligence and counterintelligence activities or failures.
... <proceeds to crow with loud laughter> Oh, what I would do to be temporarily a fly on the wall in the room where and when Trump receives news of this!

Trump complained that planes are becoming "far too complex to fly" after the crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 in Ethiopia that killed all 157 people on board. While European Union, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia and other countries have already banned the plane, the FAA said it does not see a reason to ground the fleet in the United States. Trump continued: "I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!" (Politico / CNBC / New York Times / Bloomberg)
Flying a plane isn't and will never be as simple as driving a car unless we implement sufficiently advanced AIs that can reliably handle all those complex controls, so Trump should shut the fuck up and let the real men do the talking and thinking.

... Then again, he probably doesn't know how to drive a car himself.

The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio can cut state funding to Planned Parenthood because the organization performs abortions. Four of the 11 Circuit judges who sided with Ohio were appointed by Trump. (Politico / Reuters)
I'm going to repeat a question that I asked recently and didn't get an answer for: Are you guys sure that these Trump-appointed judges can't have their appoinments rendered illegitimate automatically if it's proven that Trump illegitimately won the presidency?

The Navy and its contractors and subcontractors are "under cyber siege" by Chinese hackers and others, according to an internal Navy review. The 57-page document reports that hackers are exploiting critical weaknesses that threaten the U.S.'s standing as the world's top military power. (Wall Street Journal)
Trump and the GOP's opposition to improving the USA's cyberwarfare capabilities in hopes that foreign hackers will meddle in the upcoming elections in their favor is going to cost them even more favor with the military than before. Sooner or later they'll be facing a dilemma over whether it's worth staying on their current course on the matter, right?

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#274207: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:39:40 PM

Yes, we're sure.

I dont see what connection there could be between hacking navy contractors and election results.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
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.
#274208: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:44:59 PM

Trump complained that planes are becoming "far too complex to fly"

An umbrella is too complex for this idiot. There's no plane in the world simple enough for Trump to comprehend the controls, except maybe a paper airplane.

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#274209: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:47:28 PM

[up]"Whoever said anyone could throw a paper airplane without it landing right on their feet was a big fat liar! FAKE NEWS!"

Edited by kkhohoho on Mar 12th 2019 at 8:47:38 AM

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#274210: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:49:32 PM

Here's the full WTF Just Happened Today feed:

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/03/12/day-782/

    Day 782: Deteriorating situation 
1/ The New York attorney general's office opened an investigation into three Trump Organization loans from Deutsche Bank, as well as Trump's failed attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills. New York AG Letitia James issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Investors Bank for loan applications, mortgages, lines of credit and other financing transactions in connection with the Trump International Hotel in Washington, the Trump National Doral outside Miami, and the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, as well as the unsuccessful purchase of the NFL team in 2014. The new inquiry was prompted by Michael Cohen's congressional testimony, who suggested that Trump had inflated his assets in financial statements and provided documents to back up his claims. The inquiry is a civil investigation, not a criminal one. (New York Times / Washington Post / Reuters / Bloomberg / ABC News / NBC News)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-deutsche-bank-idUSKBN1QT0NU

One of Trump's closest political advisers: "We're not ready" for more investigations. David Bossie served as Trump's deputy campaign manager and has been counseling both the White House and congressional Republicans. (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/democrats-arm-investigations-trump-insider-confides-ready/story?id=61605995

2/ The attorney who negotiated the hush-money payments on behalf of Stormy Daniels and Karen Mc Dougal believes Trump could still be in legal danger for his alleged role in directing the efforts to buy their silence. Keith Davidson cited language used by prosecutors in Cohen's indictment, which alleged that Cohen was part of a criminal conspiracy, and said, "by definition, a conspiracy must involve more than one person – so who else could it be?" Davidson says he sat down with investigators for the special counsel for more than 15 hours, during which it "became clear" to him that prosecutors believe the hush-money payments were part of an effort to save Trump's presidential campaign, which would constitute a violation of campaign finance laws. (ABC News)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-trump-risk-alleged-role-hush-payments-stormy/story?id=61611957

3/ Adam Schiff: Trump should be indicted when he leaves office for the crimes Michael Cohen was convicted of committing on his behalf. The chairman of the House intelligence committee said there's already sufficient evidence to support an indictment of Trump even before the conclusion of Robert Mueller's investigation, and that the Justice Department policy against indicting a siting president was "wrong." (NPR / Washington Post)

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/12/702538563/adam-schiff-evidence-available-already-shows-that-trump-should-be-indicted

There might be a second Mueller report. Since Mueller's appointment, he's been conducting a counterintelligence investigation, while "also" assessing whether any crimes were committed. Unlike a criminal report, a Mueller counterintelligence report must be shared with Congress. Both the House and Senate intelligence committees are legally entitled to be given reports – in writing – of significant intelligence and counterintelligence activities or failures. (Daily Beast)

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mueller-may-drop-second-report-that-cant-be-buried

Mueller's team is funded through the end of September 2019, indicating that the probe has the funding to keep it going for months if need be. (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-budget-mueller-idUSKBN1QS2QB

Paul Manafort will face his second court sentencing on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson could sentence Manafort for up to 10 years in prison for violating a foreign lobbying law and witness tampering, and whether she orders the sentences to be served concurrently or one after the other. Separately, Mueller's prosecutors are scheduled to update another federal judge about the status of Mike Flynn's cooperation and whether his sentencing can proceed. (Wall Street Journal)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/paul-manaforts-second-sentencing-will-come-amid-flurry-of-mueller-activity-11552412430

4/ Trump complained that planes are becoming "far too complex to fly" after the crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 in Ethiopia that killed all 157 people on board. While European Union, China, the United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia and other countries have already banned the plane, the FAA said it does not see a reason to ground the fleet in the United States. Trump continued: "I don't want Albert Einstein to be my pilot. I want great flying professionals that are allowed to easily and quickly take control of a plane!" (Politico / CNBC / New York Times / Bloomberg)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/12/trump-boeing-plane-crash-1217372

5/ House Democrats introduced an immigration proposal that would provide as many as 2.5 million immigrants a path to citizenship. The Dream and Promise Act of 2019 would cover young undocumented immigrants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program as well as those with temporary immigration protections. If passed, HR 6 would represent the most generous immigration bill since the Reagan "amnesty" of 1986. While the legislation will likely pass the House, it faces significant hurdles from the GOP-controlled Senate and from Trump. (Vox / NBC News / Washington Post / Think Progress)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/house-democrats-introduce-bill-give-citizenship-daca-tps-recipients-n982211

In a Breitbart News interview, Trump said his administration is thinking "very seriously" about designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. Trump's comments come after his declaration of a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border last month. [Editor's Note: I'm not linking to the Breitbart propaganda article, because it's just that. You can Google for it if you're so inclined.] (Washington Post / Raw Story)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-very-seriously-considering-designating-mexican-drug-cartels-as-terrorists/2019/03/12/9bfc30f0-44cb-11e9-8aab-95b8d80a1e4f_story.html

6/ U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services plans to close all 21 international field offices, which could slow the processing of family visa applications, foreign adoptions and citizenship petitions from members of the military. Agency staffers said closing overseas offices will make it more difficult to apply to immigrate from abroad. (Washington Post / Politico / New York Times)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/12/citizenship-immigration-international-offices-close-1218137

    Notables 
The 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Ohio can cut state funding to Planned Parenthood because the organization performs abortions. Four of the 11 Circuit judges who sided with Ohio were appointed by Trump. (Politico / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-abortion-ohio/appeals-court-says-ohio-may-withhold-planned-parenthood-funding-idUSKBN1QT23V

The U.S. will remove all remaining diplomatic personnel from the embassy in Venezuela this week. The State Department said the decision "reflects the deteriorating situation in Venezuela," and that "the presence of U.S. diplomatic staff at the embassy has become a constraint on U.S. policy." They gave no additional details about the withdrawal from Caracas or the specific day on which it would occur. Venezuela is currently experiencing a five-day-long power outage. (Reuters / ABC News / Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/07e2f8abb3a64506a91d11dfd69e86cc

Mike Pompeo accused Cuba and Russia of propping up Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro. Pompeo's statements came after the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a Russia-based bank that it accused of helping Maduro's government circumvent earlier American financial penalties. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/11/us/politics/us-venezuela-pompeo.html

The director of the National Cancer Institute will take over as acting commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration when Dr. Scott Gottlieb steps down at the end of the month. Dr. Norman Sharpless has been the director of the National Cancer Institute since 2017. (Politico / New York Times)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/12/fda-commissioner-1217908

Nancy Pelosi revoked Pence's office in the House. Republicans gave Pence a first-floor office in the U.S. Capitol shortly after Trump was inaugurated in 2017. (NPR)

https://www.npr.org/2019/03/12/702577175/speaker-pelosi-revokes-mike-pences-house-office-space

The Navy and its contractors and subcontractors are "under cyber siege" by Chinese hackers and others, according to an internal Navy review. The 57-page document reports that hackers are exploiting critical weaknesses that threaten the U.S.'s standing as the world's top military power. (Wall Street Journal)

https://www.wsj.com/articles/navy-industry-partners-are-under-cyber-siege-review-asserts-11552415553

Wildcard Since: Jun, 2012
#274211: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:49:40 PM

So I've only flown a Crop-Duster type, (my first and so far only flying lesson) and from what I've been told full time training is insane, but it also gives pilots a well-rounded ability to fly lots of different types of aircraft. This is just him being a old man and making a stupid comment, like most of his presidency.

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#274212: Mar 12th 2019 at 6:57:57 PM

The whole point of the extra complexity is to eliminate pilot error and make them safer. Which they do: there are fewer airplane accidents per year than ever before.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
RainingMetal (Handed A Sword) Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#274213: Mar 12th 2019 at 7:15:21 PM

Also paper airplanes are difficult to build well; most of the time they just swerve and crash, at least from my experience.

Edited by RainingMetal on Mar 12th 2019 at 7:15:31 AM

ASAB: All Sponsors Are Bad.
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.
#274214: Mar 12th 2019 at 7:20:36 PM

Which is why I specified the controls of a paper airplane.

Steven (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#274215: Mar 12th 2019 at 8:40:00 PM

Mario did it better. tongue

Remember, these idiots drive, fuck, and vote. Not always in that order.
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#274216: Mar 12th 2019 at 9:16:52 PM

I dont see what connection there could be between hacking navy contractors and election results.
The GOP and Trump have been consistently shutting down any and all proposals to bolster the USA's cyberwarfare agencies in the wake of Russia and China escalating their cyber attacks since 2016, not just against the US government but also against US corporations (almost certainly partly as industrial espionage). Navy contractors fall under that category.

The relation to election results is simple: If this goes on without anything being done, it's likely that sooner or later enough US citizens who work in the Navy that either used to vote Republican or were too apathetic to vote would be pissed off enough to vote against the GOP in upcoming elections.

Edited by MarqFJA on Mar 12th 2019 at 7:19:10 PM

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
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
#274217: Mar 13th 2019 at 1:08:39 AM

Are you guys sure that these Trump-appointed judges can't have their appoinments rendered illegitimate automatically if it's proven that Trump illegitimately won the presidency?

The US legal system doesn’t have a concept of an illegitimate president, the moment that the election results were certified they were declared legitimate, there’s no way to undo that certification, even then there’s the electoral college to factor in (technically people didn’t elect Trump, they elected a set of people who elected Trump), which itself is likely to have been certified as a fair vote.

On top of all of that Trump was sworn in, going “fuck it” taking the oath of office and having everyone accept it is how the first Vice President became president if I remember right.

Now judges could be individually impeached, if a strong enough majority was reached than “was appointed by Donald Trump” could become grounds for impeachment, but even then there’s the problem that Trump didn’t appoint them alone, every judge was approved by the senate, so you’d have to argue that the senate that approved the judges was also illegitimate.

Edited by Silasw on Mar 13th 2019 at 8:09:03 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#274218: Mar 13th 2019 at 4:30:14 AM

[up][up] The US doesn’t have any cyberwarfare agencies, unless you count CYBERCOM. The military is in pretty good shape cyberwar-wise, it’s just the impact on civilian infrastructure we’re worried about. Navy contractors being hacked is basically tangential to election hacking.

Edited by archonspeaks on Mar 13th 2019 at 4:31:13 AM

They should have sent a poet.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#274219: Mar 13th 2019 at 5:14:17 AM

While it won't be handled well by this administration, Mexico's drug cartels are, indeed, foreign terrorist organizations.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#274220: Mar 13th 2019 at 9:17:50 AM

CNN is reporting that Manafort has been sentenced to an additional (as in, on top of the time he has already served, so no concurrent sentence) 43 months in prison.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/paul-manafort-sentencing-dc/index.html

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Mar 13th 2019 at 1:18:50 PM

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#274221: Mar 13th 2019 at 9:20:07 AM

Good.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#274222: Mar 13th 2019 at 9:20:24 AM

More accurately, he's been sentenced to 73 months, but 30 of them are concurrent with his prior sentence

"U.S. judge gives Manafort 73 months" - http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-manafort/u-s-judge-gives-manafort-73-months-idUSKBN1QU18W

Edited by sgamer82 on Mar 13th 2019 at 10:21:16 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#274223: Mar 13th 2019 at 9:22:09 AM

Yeah, that Reuters article is a better source, CNN gonna CNN.

8 years is far better, and this judge clearly didn't buy into his sob story.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#274224: Mar 13th 2019 at 9:24:40 AM

Who knows what the future holds but, with 8 years behind bars, he won't be committing any more election crimes for a while, and that's good enough for me.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#274225: Mar 13th 2019 at 9:26:49 AM

I really wish that "Melania's missing!/body double" meme didn't make a comeback in the last couple days. Even if meant in humor, it only fuels Trump's FAKE NEWS accusation. There's plenty of bullshit to call him on, it weakens our position when we engage in stuff like this.


Total posts: 417,856
Top