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

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#277301: Apr 11th 2019 at 12:20:13 PM

About the only upside to this, I admit, is that Assange is a scumbag so he's not a purely innocent victim like some.

And maybe Russian interference will be exposed but the problem is that it's more likely he'll try to make any sort of deal he can.

"I was paid to trash the Republicans by the Democrats!"

Ugh.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Apr 11th 2019 at 12:20:29 PM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#277302: Apr 11th 2019 at 12:30:45 PM

Journalism and whistleblowing are one thing, cooperating with hostile foreign governments is another. Let’s be honest, he didn’t leak those documents out of a commitment to transparency.

They should have sent a poet.
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#277304: Apr 11th 2019 at 12:49:28 PM

Manchin, as always, can fuck off.

Wyldchyld (Old as dirt)
#277305: Apr 11th 2019 at 12:51:48 PM

Barr is opening an investigation on the FBI.

Well, I think this means it's fairly obvious what Barr will want to do next: appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton.

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.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277306: Apr 11th 2019 at 12:56:12 PM

Joe Manchin endorses Susan Collins for reelection.

He might as well just be a Republican at this rate.

Do we really have to do this again?

Joe Manchin voted to defend the ACA, a Republican would never do that.

Yes, he stands for awful things. But literally, any politician who represents West Virginia would be the same. Better (D) then (R).

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#277307: Apr 11th 2019 at 1:00:18 PM

Also isn't Susan Collins one of the few Republicans occasionally standing against their agenda?

And yeah to [up]. However you might feel about Manchin, if the choice is someone who stands with you, but doesn't always vote with you, or someone absolutely guaranteed to do neither, the choice is clear.

And that is the choice, where Manchin is concerned. I think it's been noted multiple times that a progressive candidate could never win his seat.


Former Obama lawyer Craig charged in Mueller spin-off probe

https://reut.rs/2GhAbYA

Edited by sgamer82 on Apr 11th 2019 at 2:04:50 AM

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#277308: Apr 11th 2019 at 1:04:40 PM

Susan Collins gives lip service but hasn’t done anything useful. Lisa Murkowski is better than Collins.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277309: Apr 11th 2019 at 1:06:52 PM

Susan Collins gives lip service but hasn’t done anything useful. Lisa Murkowski is better than Collins.

Yeah, Collins is a moderate Republican.

Or in other words, she says nice things while voting for absolutely terrible things.

"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
#277310: Apr 11th 2019 at 1:07:39 PM

Journalism and whistleblowing are one thing, cooperating with hostile foreign governments is another. Let’s be honest, he didn’t leak those documents out of a commitment to transparency.

And what happens if he wasn't a Russian asset then?

And he became one later?

At what point do journalists deserve protection for their action? Assange's moral character doesn't matter because what he did (in this specific situation) wasn't a crime.

Edited by CharlesPhipps on Apr 11th 2019 at 1:08:44 AM

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#277311: Apr 11th 2019 at 1:19:25 PM

[up] They deserve protection right up until they begin working at the behest of a hostile foriegn power, and it’s very likely Assange was doing that the whole time.

I suppose that’s the million dollar question though.

They should have sent a poet.
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
#277312: Apr 11th 2019 at 1:21:36 PM

Manchin‘s endorsement isn’t going to help Collins, it’s empty posturing on his part that does no actual harm. Empty posturing like this is how he has been able to defend his seat and thus the ACA, and it’s how he will hopefully still have his seat when it comes time to vote for universal healthcare.

Manchin is the opposite of a moderate republican, he keeps saying terrible things but doing good things, I’ll take it.

Edited by Silasw on Apr 11th 2019 at 8:22:28 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#277314: Apr 11th 2019 at 2:39:40 PM

He knows it's a lie.The message is for his supporters who will readily believe him,everyone else is irreverent.

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#277315: Apr 11th 2019 at 2:40:45 PM

I can't see the page.

Edited by LSBK on Apr 11th 2019 at 4:41:08 AM

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277316: Apr 11th 2019 at 2:40:54 PM

He knows it's a lie.The message is for his supporters who will readily believe him,everyone else is irreverent.

Trump has a practically pathological need to constantly and blatantly lie, I really don't think this can be attributed to electoral strategy. It's simply a product of his fundamental nature.

I can't see the page.

Trump claimed that he didn't know anything about Wikileaks so a Fox News(!) Anchor played six clips of Trump praising the group.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Apr 11th 2019 at 2:42:39 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Oruka Since: Dec, 2018
#277317: Apr 11th 2019 at 2:48:58 PM

The man is slick, minus the L.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#277318: Apr 11th 2019 at 2:53:34 PM

Joe Manchin endorses Susan Collins for reelection.

He might as well just be a Republican at this rate.

Joe Manchin voted to defend the ACA, a Republican would never do that.

...Susan Collins voted to defend the ACA. She was one of the four Republican defectors that made protecting the ACA possible in 2017.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Apr 11th 2019 at 3:54:24 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!
#277319: Apr 11th 2019 at 2:58:01 PM

...Susan Collins voted to defend the ACA. She was one of the four Republican defectors that made protecting the ACA possible in 2017.

Fine, most Republicans wouldn't do it. And certainly not one from West Virginia.

My point stands.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#277320: Apr 11th 2019 at 3:10:44 PM

I suspect Trump is actually quite a bit smarter and more deliberate than many people say he is. I do think he's genuinely an impulsive jerk, but I think he knows he is and plans around that, mostly by invoking Refuge in Audacity. He can't pretend to be nice very well, but he can market his douchebaggery as desirable. For example, making it look like he's bluntly honest or "just saying what everyone else is too afraid to say", or even that he's standing up to the system by showing a lack of consideration for others.

In that specific case of Trump lying about Wikileaks, I think he was more counting the audacity of his lie to be such that people wouldn't think to fact-check him, as they'd be expecting him to at least make a fact-check. People are very used to Villains Never Lie.

Edited by Protagonist506 on Apr 11th 2019 at 3:12:55 AM

Leviticus 19:34
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#277321: Apr 11th 2019 at 3:20:53 PM

I do think Trump employs Crouching Moron Hidden Bigot to great effect. He thrives on the sentiment, "I don't think Trump's smart enough to do that! He probably just tripped and fell backwards into supporting white supremacy!"

It's how his White Male Benefit of Doubt Shield manifests. A lot of his detractors, especially the media, are still very reluctant to actually say that he's racist. Or sexist. Or homophobic. Etc. etc. It's more comforting to think that he's just very, very stupid and didn't realize what he was really doing at a given time.

His public persona is a toddler pounding buttons randomly, and that's actually an alarmingly generous perception. And a dangerous one, because it blinds Americans to the true extent of the authoritarian threat in Washington right now.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Apr 11th 2019 at 4:22:20 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#277322: Apr 11th 2019 at 3:26:50 PM

I don't think him being a toddler is mutually exclusive with him being a dangerous white supremacist, but I get what you mean.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#277323: Apr 11th 2019 at 3:30:04 PM

Well, what I'm suggesting is more that he's an immature and highly impulsive man, but actually deceptively clever. Most people assume he's unintelligent because he's so immature, which he uses to his advantage.

Leviticus 19:34
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#277324: Apr 11th 2019 at 4:03:46 PM

I might have believed that if he didn't act just as horrible in private as he does on TV and Twitter.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277325: Apr 11th 2019 at 4:06:30 PM

Well, what I'm suggesting is more that he's an immature and highly impulsive man, but actually deceptively clever. Most people assume he's unintelligent because he's so immature, which he uses to his advantage.

Hmm, I would say it's possible he has some kind of base cunning.

Still, I don't think I'd call that clever. He's too mindlessly reactive and pathologically ignorant to qualify.

But yes, I think you're right that Trump can and probably has taken advantage of people judging him for his clear stupidity.

I don't think him being a toddler is mutually exclusive with him being a dangerous white supremacist, but I get what you mean.

This is my position, I absolutely think he's a giant moron but a giant moron who's driven by vicious racism and the power of the Presidency is still horrifyingly dangerous due to the damage he can (and has) cause.

Less machiavellian strategist and more bull in a chyna shop.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang

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