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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.

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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

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#282676: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:08:58 PM

nevermind

Edited by megaeliz on Jun 13th 2019 at 10:27:18 AM

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#282677: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:13:44 PM

[up]...I have no idea what I just read.

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#282678: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:15:38 PM

...so he just admitted to outright lying?

i'm tired, my friend
TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#282679: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:18:05 PM

It's not a real tweet. It sounds just like him, which is so, so, so very sad, but megaliz is just playing along there.

AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#282680: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:18:07 PM

Got a link to that? If it's a fake one, maybe don't call it "actual".

Edited by AlleyOop on Jun 13th 2019 at 8:29:02 AM

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#282681: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:30:51 PM

That is not the actual tweet. The actual tweets are:

After 3 1/2 years, our wonderful Sarah Huckabee Sanders will be leaving the White House at the end of the month and going home to the Great State of Arkansas....
....She is a very special person with extraordinary talents, who has done an incredible job! I hope she decides to run for Governor of Arkansas - she would be fantastic. Sarah, thank you for a job well done!

Please do not post jokes as if they are real.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#282682: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:36:00 PM

I agree with the request to not post jokes as if the are real.

Do not obey in advance.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#282683: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:46:42 PM

[up] how sad when we can’t tell the difference between satire and reality?

Edited by megaeliz on Jun 13th 2019 at 8:48:04 AM

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#282684: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:52:43 PM

[up]Dude, some of us could tell the difference. That doesn't mean we should be posting jokes here as if they were factual. This is not a joke site where the entire audience is meant to be in on the joke. it's a discussion forum that relies on having as much clarity as possible.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#282685: Jun 13th 2019 at 5:54:36 PM

If one does post jokes, they should at least point out it is a joke.

Let’s not accidentally contribute to the spread of misinformation online.

Disgusted, but not surprised
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#282686: Jun 13th 2019 at 6:13:53 PM

Yeah, a Joking Mode pothole would have been appreciated there.

Edited by LSBK on Jun 13th 2019 at 8:14:05 AM

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#282687: Jun 13th 2019 at 6:27:56 PM

Poe's Law predates Trump by decades, just so you know.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#282688: Jun 13th 2019 at 6:59:33 PM

Granted, over three years is a very long tenure for a Press Sec. That position in particular is high stress, and one gaffe can require an exit.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#282689: Jun 13th 2019 at 8:43:45 PM

From what I've heard, friends and family have talked her into running for political office, but I don't remember where I heard that.

If she were to run for US Congress, it would either be to primary Arkansas Senator Tim Cotton or Representative Bruce Westerman, if she still lives in the same district of the state.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#282690: Jun 13th 2019 at 8:48:21 PM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/06/13/day-875/

    Day 875: The green light 

1/ Trump admitted that he'd "want to hear" from foreign governments with damaging information about his political opponents. Trump claimed "there isn't anything wrong with listening" to a foreign government if they contacted him and said "we have information on your opponent." Trump also rejected the notion that accepting damaging information from a foreign government would constitute election interference, saying "It's not an interference, they have information – I think I'd take it." FBI Director Christopher Wray during congressional testimony last month told lawmakers that "the FBI would want to know about" any foreign election meddling. Trump, however, said he might alert the FBI "if I thought there was something wrong," but then said "The FBI director is wrong, because frankly it doesn't happen like that in life." (ABC News / Associated Press / NBC News / New York Times / Bloomberg)

https://apnews.com/4f12f64313cf4fdcb7cb55d7f24a3e9e

Putin: Relations between Moscow and Washington "are going downhill, they are getting worse and worse." (Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia-putin/putin-says-russia-u-s-relations-are-getting-worse-and-worse-mir-tv-idUSKCN1TE0L7

2/ Nancy Pelosi: "Everybody in the country should be totally appalled" by Trump's comments and that he "gave us evidence once again he does not know right from wrong." Pelosi added that Trump is giving Russia "the green light" to again interfere in the presidential election. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, meanwhile, called Trump's remarks "disgraceful" and "shocking," saying that "it's as if the president had learned absolutely nothing in the past two years" from Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. (Washington Post / Associated Press / ABC News / CNBC / CNN / Wall Street Journal)

https://www.apnews.com/4f12f64313cf4fdcb7cb55d7f24a3e9e

More than a dozen 2020 Democratic presidential candidates rebuked Trump after he admitted he would consider taking information on his political opponents from a foreign government. Many renewed calls for impeachment while also voicing new concerns about the security of American elections. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/06/13/trump-foreign-intelligence-warren-gillibrand-impeachment/?utm_term=.becbe7088575

3/ Trump tried to defend and recast his comments about accepting information about his rivals from foreign governments, tweeting that he talks to foreign leaders every day and asking: "Should I immediately call the FBI about these calls and meetings? How ridiculous!" Trump then argued that his comments were taken out of context, claiming that his "full answer is rarely played by the Fake News Media" and that "They purposely leave out the part that matters." He did not offer evidence to support the claim. (Politico / Huff Post)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/trump-tweet-interference-1363403

4/ The Justice Department plans to interview senior CIA officials about the origins of its Russia investigation and their conclusion that Putin ordered an influence campaign that "aspired to help" Trump and hurt Hillary Clinton. Attorney General William Barr previously said he wanted to review why the FBI opened the counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign in order to determine whether law enforcement officials abused their power. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/us/politics/russia-investigation-cia.html

5/ Sarah Huckabee Sanders resigned and will leave the White House at the end of the month. Sanders has not held a press briefing for a record 94 days. (Politico / NBC News / CNN / The Guardian / New York Times / Washington Post / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/sarah-sanders-to-leave-white-house-1364563

6/ A federal watchdog agency recommended that Kellyanne Conway "immediately" be "removed from service," citing repeated violations of the Hatch Act, which bans federal employees from political activity. The Office of Special Counsel – unrelated to Mueller's office – said Conway has been a "repeat offender" by "disparaging Democratic presidential candidates while speaking in her official capacity during television interviews and on social media." The decision to remove Conway is up to Trump. (Washington Post / Politico / ABC News / New York Times / Axios / Reuters / Associated Press / The Hill / The Guardian)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-conway-idUSKCN1TE2FI

7/ The House Intelligence Committee issued subpoenas to Michael Flynn and Rick Gates. The committee is demanding that Flynn and Gates provide documents by June 26 and testify before the committee on July 10. Committee Chairman Adam Schiff said the committee issued the subpoenas after both "refused to fully cooperate with Congress." Flynn and Gates both pleaded guilty and cooperated in Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. (New York Times / CNN / Politico / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-congress-subpoenas-idUSKCN1TE1UV

Trump approves of Flynn's new lawyer, saying his former national security adviser "has not retained a good lawyer, he has retained a GREAT LAWYER." Sidney Powell previously accused the FBI of spying on Flynn as part of a "setup," arguing that Flynn should withdraw his guilty plea and that his case should be dismissed. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/trump-michael-flynn-lawyer-1363094

    Notables 
Trump Jr. indicated that he plans to campaign against Justin Amash, the only Republican congressman who has called for Trump's impeachment. (CNBC / Washington Post)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/13/donald-trump-jr-plans-to-campaign-against-michigan-rep-justin-amash-in-2020-primary.html

Two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman were attacked as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was meeting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran. The attack comes a month after four tankers were damaged in the same area. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, meanwhile, said intelligence showed that Iran was responsible for attacks on two oil tankers. While Pompeo didn't present any evidence, he called the sabotage against the tankers the latest in a series of "unprovoked attacks [that] present a clear threat to international peace and security." (Associated Press / Washington Post / New York Times / Bloomberg)

https://apnews.com/d67714ab8ac344a3b3af19cca1c20192

Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney used his position to push for the nomination of a federal judge over the objection of White House lawyers. Mulvaney repeatedly pushed Don Mc Gahn to nominate Halil Suleyman Ozerden to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Mulvaney was a groomsman at Ozerden's wedding in 2003. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/06/13/mulvaney-halil-suleyman-fifth-circuit-1362794

Trump still owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in security fees to at least ten U.S. cities. The Trump campaign has failed to reimburse the cities for public-safety costs associated with his presidential and campaign rallies. The total bill currently sits at $841,219 and includes invoices that date back to before Trump was elected in 2016. (Center for Public Integrity / The Hill / NBC News)

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/448323-10-cities-say-trump-owes-them-money-from-rally-security

Trump revealed images of Air Force One's proposed redesign, which features a color scheme similar to his own private jet. The two new planes will cost $3.9 billion, but won't be ready for takeoff until 2024. (ABC News / Washington Post)

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/exclusive-trump-unveils-patriotic-paint-job-air-force/story?id=63676678

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#282691: Jun 13th 2019 at 9:38:07 PM

Trump’s big problem is that he’s unpopular

A Vox opinion piece(?) positing that things look bad enough for Trump that, while Democrats shouldn't get complacent, also might be better off focusing more on down-ballot things.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#282692: Jun 13th 2019 at 9:41:33 PM

It's been noted before that Trump hasn't been particularly helpful when it comes to the down-ballot.

Disgusted, but not surprised
AlleyOop Since: Oct, 2010
#282693: Jun 13th 2019 at 9:49:07 PM

That's good, but again, Democrats shouldn't be complacent. It's important not to split the vote but also to use the opportunity to push for a more leftward platform in order to shift the Overton window over some.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#282694: Jun 13th 2019 at 10:58:09 PM

And in shitty news: all charges have been dropped and the investigation has started over in the Flint, Michigan lead water scandal.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
ACW from Arlington, VA (near Washington, D.C.) Since: Jul, 2009
Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#282696: Jun 14th 2019 at 9:06:26 AM

I`m not usually one to say something like that, for obvious reasons, but seriously, Sarah looks as dumb as she is.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#282697: Jun 14th 2019 at 10:04:43 AM

Debates are set.

On June 26:

  • Elizabeth Warren

  • Cory Booker

  • Beto O’Rourke

  • Amy Klobuchar

  • John Delaney

  • Tulsi Gabbard

  • Julian Castro

  • Tim Ryan

  • Bill de Blasio

  • Jay Inslee

On June 27:

  • Joe Biden

  • Bernie Sanders

  • Kamala Harris

  • Pete Buttigieg

  • Kristin Gillibrand

  • ? Bennet

  • Marianne Williamson

  • Eric Swalwell

  • Andrew Yang

  • John Hickenlooper

The draw was random; this is gonna be a giant mess and I can’t wait. Hoping Elizabeth Warren will crush it on night 1 and on night 2 everyone will fling Biden under a bus.

Edited by wisewillow on Jun 14th 2019 at 10:07:59 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#282698: Jun 14th 2019 at 10:06:35 AM

Biden is obviously priority target number one for everyone, given his lead. I suspect that even the other debate will involve attacks against him.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#282699: Jun 14th 2019 at 10:09:21 AM

Most of what I've read says that the candidates will probably withhold from going all out on each other in the first debate.

Forenperser Foreign Troper from Germany Since: Mar, 2012
Foreign Troper
#282700: Jun 14th 2019 at 10:10:38 AM

I still don't get how this guy is leading. I mean, he has basically offered nothing so far.

Except virtue signaling and flip-floping, whenever it suits him.

Certified: 48.0% West Asian, 6.5% South Asian, 15.8% North/West European, 15.7% English, 7.4% Balkan, 6.6% Scandinavian

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