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AzurePaladin She/Her Pronouns from Forest of Magic Since: Apr, 2018 Relationship Status: Mu
She/Her Pronouns
#277426: Apr 13th 2019 at 7:03:02 AM

> [up]x6 Yup.

> [up][up] Again, this ties back into the discussion of if the checks and balances are holding. You can argue that they do as a whole, but this is an example of it failing to stop bad things from happening, as he can now just circumvent the law by getting others to do it and then just pandering them. Essentially, CBP willing, he can effectively change how the law works as long as he is President.

Edit: Hell of a pagetopper. I'm good with it. 8.5/10

Edited by AzurePaladin on Apr 13th 2019 at 10:03:28 AM

The awful things he says and does are burned into our cultural consciousness like a CRT display left on the same picture too long. -Fighteer
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#277427: Apr 13th 2019 at 7:17:37 AM

And yeah, the White House is denying it happened to begin with, and even CNN points out that a "Just Joking" Justification is probably enough to prevent any actual impact.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#277428: Apr 13th 2019 at 7:21:28 AM

“Even CNN”

CNN is absolutely a scum sucking untrustworthy “both sides” source. They keep hiring former Trump stooges as talking heads and they gave him constant coverage during the 2016 primary. I trust their legal analysis as much as I trust Alan Dershowitz.

Ingonyama Since: Jan, 2001
#277429: Apr 13th 2019 at 7:55:19 AM

@ M84: Ah, sorry about that, must have missed it. Or I thought it was just the first part.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277430: Apr 13th 2019 at 9:08:44 AM

It doesn’t make a difference. It’s the same message, whether or not you want to claim it’s a dogwhistle.

This, stochastic terrorism is the name of the game for the Right and Trump in particular. I have no doubt that he is trying to create the kind of environment where Omar and other Muslims are murdered.

Edit:

There's some news, Democrats unite to condemn Trump tweet linking Ilhan Omar and 9/11.

The name more or less says it all, Democrats have called Trump out for his dangerous hatemongering. It's not really surprising but it's a good symbol all the same.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Apr 13th 2019 at 4:59:53 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
SciFiSlasher from Absolutely none of your business. Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
#277431: Apr 13th 2019 at 5:53:44 PM

[up] I'm going to be honest, and say that just condemning Trump's beliefs is not enough. This has happened before with Trump, and he has not backed off from his behavior one bit. Sending people like him a very strongly worded letter just does not work.

"Somehow the hated have to walk a tightrope, while those who hate do not."
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#277432: Apr 13th 2019 at 5:57:22 PM

I'm going to be honest, and say that just condemning Trump's beliefs is not enough. This has happened before with Trump, and he has not backed off from his behavior one bit. Sending people like him a very strongly worded letter just does not work.

Obviously not, but no one has said that it is.

The option is not "condemn Trump or "actually do something substantive", we can do both. And someone who won't do the former probably won't' do the latter.

As this juncture, there isn't much they can do beyond condemning him.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Apr 13th 2019 at 5:57:43 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#277433: Apr 14th 2019 at 4:01:43 PM

Peter Buttigieg has officially announced he's running for President by the way

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/pete-buttigieg-2020-presidential-run_n_5cb09786e4b098b9a2d2d4e6

Another runner at the already crowded start line

Edited by Ultimatum on Apr 14th 2019 at 11:15:10 AM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#277434: Apr 14th 2019 at 4:11:53 PM

So when do the primaries start, again?

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#277435: Apr 14th 2019 at 4:18:38 PM

the dates are all here

Edited by Ultimatum on Apr 14th 2019 at 11:23:21 AM

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#277436: Apr 14th 2019 at 7:13:45 PM

I will never get over just how damn long America elections are, once you count the primaries. Hardly any time for actual governing.tongue

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#277437: Apr 14th 2019 at 7:20:59 PM

USA election campaign seasons are long, brutal slogs. Especially if you're campaigning for POTUS — so much flying all over the USA...

As someone who hates flying, just the thought of having to do that much flying for over a year makes me cringe.

Edited by M84 on Apr 14th 2019 at 10:23:42 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#277438: Apr 14th 2019 at 11:16:22 PM

If I were in charge of the two major parties that would be my one rule change - no declaring of presidential candidacy until after the first of January in an election year.

Of course, all that would do is lengthen the shadow primary where you know who is running but they just won't say, so I don't know if that would be better or worse plus I've no idea how you could enforce it other than regulating how the candidates fundraise. I mean it's clear the DNC are in over their heads on this one but that is no criticism - any political party would be in trying to manage a selection process with 20 or so candidates (plus Joe) and counting.

I mean, so far the only worrying thing is that while I know that the Democrats are in the minority in the Senate, and McConnell runs the damn thing as if he were king, it still doesn't help that five Democrat senators (Gillibrand, Booker, Harris, Warren, Klobuchar) plus Sanders are all off concentrating on other things. And given that the most lasting damage Trump / McConnell will do is in installing judges via the Senate...

Edited by singularityshot on Apr 14th 2019 at 11:17:03 AM

TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#277439: Apr 14th 2019 at 11:42:22 PM

They can't do anything to stop McConnell from installing judges. He's already nuked debate time down to a few hours so he can turn them out faster, and with a majority it doesn't matter how many opposition senators are present because he'll always pass the threshold.

singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#277440: Apr 15th 2019 at 3:58:17 AM

Its a minor quibble really - McConnell is king so the judges will be confirmed. I just hope that someone is keeping score so we know what the "par" value is for a first term president in McConnell's new age of Senate efficiency.

At least it is a good thing that with all the senators that are running no state has both of their senators seeking high office.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#277441: Apr 15th 2019 at 7:05:41 AM

Yeah. There is no way to stop McConnell from carrying out his judicial coup. We can't "win" this one. It was won in 2016, when Americans voted to allow it to succeed.

Having to watch his victory lap is awful, and the consequences will be with us for decades. From the moment Republicans won their Executive/Legislative trifecta, this was always going to suck. The 2016 election was a devastating blow in many areas.

There are some areas we can resist them in, and some we have very successfully. There are battles to be won for damage control. But judicial appointments are 100% party-line and occur entirely between the Republican-controlled White House and Republican-controlled Senate, with no input from the House.

There's basically nothing we can do about this right now, other than impotently watch the future get harder with each passing confirmation. Maybe take some notes on the particularly odious confirmations like Kavanaugh, who we may be able to do something about in a future administration the second they slip up.

And remember, each and every one: elections have consequences. Vote. Always vote.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Apr 15th 2019 at 8:05:53 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#277442: Apr 15th 2019 at 8:34:12 AM

Back in the (1930s) day, a Conservative court dominance ended when several judges belatedly realized that continuing to rule against New Deal legislation would result in a court packing attempt or worse and decided to begin upholding the laws. So that would be a tack to take.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#277443: Apr 15th 2019 at 8:47:46 AM

[up]What are the odds of that happening today? And perhaps more to the point, what is necessary, legally speaking, for that to happen?

Edited by HailMuffins on Apr 15th 2019 at 12:48:28 PM

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#277444: Apr 15th 2019 at 8:51:40 AM

Impossible without a Democrat president and majority in Congress.

Oh really when?
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#277445: Apr 15th 2019 at 11:06:14 AM

There's nothing in the Constitution about the number of justices on the Supreme Court, so the only rules about it are laws passed by Congress. So any party that controls both houses of Congress (enough to overcome a filibuster) and the presidency can set the size of the SCOTUS to whatever they want.

Should it get to that point, what's more likely to happen is a complete revamp of the system: eg, instead of seven justices serving lifetime appointments with a president appointing a new justice every time an old one leaves office at random intervals, now there are nine justices serving fixed 18-year terms, staggered so that a president appoints two justices during their term (once every two years).

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#277446: Apr 15th 2019 at 11:25:26 AM

You'd also need to have rules for filling vacancies created by life events - retirement, for instance, or untimely demise - that don't undercut the duration of time that specific seat was meant to be served. This way, the schedule of appointments can't be thrown off after a few generations of life happening to Justices.

And, of course, a rule barring Congress from delaying judicial nominations.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Soban Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
#277447: Apr 15th 2019 at 11:39:27 AM

I feel like a succession list by the justice in question that had a life event might be an interesting way to do it.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#277448: Apr 15th 2019 at 12:24:49 PM

Russia's Rusal to invest $200 million into a Kentucky aluminum plant.

Redacted Mueller report to be released on Thursday.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#277449: Apr 15th 2019 at 12:38:04 PM

[up][up][up]Yeah, you'd have to go way more in depth than I did to cover all the edge cases and various unlikely-but-possible scenarios that might crop up. But those are basically details, the thrust of the suggestion is to replace the crapshoot "some presidents don't appoint any SCOTUS seats, some appoint four or five" with a more consistent system.

Edited by NativeJovian on Apr 15th 2019 at 3:38:14 PM

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.

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