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tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#47551: Jan 18th 2013 at 6:59:53 AM

Republican-controlled state legislatures whose state's electoral votes went to Obama, are pushing bills to change the way electoral votes are distributed from a winner-take-all to proportional by congressinal district.

And from what the article mentioned, the only state who is lukewarm to the idea is Wisconsin. Walker has said he is not going to prioritize it, nor has he decided whether he supports it or not.

edited 18th Jan '13 7:00:20 AM by tclittle

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Belian In honor of my 50lb pup from 42 Since: Jan, 2001
In honor of my 50lb pup
#47553: Jan 18th 2013 at 7:27:36 AM

Actually... that makes a lot of sense. And, technically speaking, it IS the congressmen who vote for President. The whole point was that the trusted, elected official would have a better idea of who is best for President than the general populous. I'm fairly sure some states do split their votes and congress(wo)men originally voted however they wanted.

Besides, how is it fair that the densely populated cities tens of miles away end up deciding that my vote counts for someone I don't support? (or the other way around with the rural/country areas deciding how the cities vote)

Not a perfect description/example of what happens, but you get the idea.

Yu hav nat sein bod speeling unntil know. (cacke four undersandig tis)the cake is a lie!
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#47554: Jan 18th 2013 at 7:28:41 AM

@Native Jovian, Fighteer: I'm not sure about item #1. Does it require due process and a judge's decision to be put on a terrorist watch list?

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#47555: Jan 18th 2013 at 7:30:40 AM

It ignores that Congress ends up getting Gerrymandered to hell. You want that idea to work out, then every state should have its congressional districts drawn up by non-party affiliated or biased boards. :V

Belian In honor of my 50lb pup from 42 Since: Jan, 2001
In honor of my 50lb pup
#47556: Jan 18th 2013 at 7:33:36 AM

like Iowa? I completely agree.

Yu hav nat sein bod speeling unntil know. (cacke four undersandig tis)the cake is a lie!
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#47557: Jan 18th 2013 at 7:55:28 AM

Congressional Republicans are making noises about releasing the debt ceiling hostage. Washington Post article, and Krugman's take on it.

The GOP has figured out that their primary policy goal of cutting entitlement programs is deeply unpopular, so they have resorted to extortion (the threat of default) and underhanded tactics (sneaking entitlement cuts into other bills), and are seemingly failing at both.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#47558: Jan 18th 2013 at 1:56:45 PM

Does it require due process and a judge's decision to be put on a terrorist watch list?

No. In most cases you don't even know it happened until you get no-fly'd or angry FBI show up at your door. In some cases having a similar name to a known suspect is sufficient, and in at least one case a guy in the US got hounded for years and repeatedly arrested based on a faulty fingerprint ID from Spain that even the Spanish authorities told them to disregard, and kept being arrested long after Spain found the real culprit via other means and told the FBI to clear the poor guy's name. Nor have rather obvious clerical errors prevented people from getting on it.

but people affected by the law could challenge their placement on the list

No they can't. Not even being conclusively proven innocent after the fact has been enough to get people off the watchlist because they have an explicit clause to keep them on it.

edited 18th Jan '13 2:01:16 PM by Pykrete

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#47559: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:11:14 PM

So Bachmann is still refusing to pay her staff.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47560: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:20:52 PM

Hold on. So she refuses to pay them until they sign this agreement. Um...wouldn't that be a bad idea? If I was one of them I'd say screw her and tell the entire story to the police. Apparently they had a similar idea.

edited 18th Jan '13 2:21:28 PM by Kostya

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#47561: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:22:18 PM

[up] Pretty much, yeah. I'm also somewhat disturbed that they're trying to use an NDA to cover up potentially criminal actions.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#47562: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:24:52 PM

[up]Isn't that a bit against the law?

DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#47563: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:29:22 PM

[up] I honestly have no idea. I certainly hope it is, but she doesn't seem to be getting in trouble for it.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47564: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:30:58 PM

If only this could be the end of her career.

DevilTakeMe Coin Operator from Wild Wasteland Since: Jan, 2010
Coin Operator
#47565: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:39:11 PM

Contracts such as ND As cannot be used to conceal illegal activity, and the discovery of crime would be grounds to void an NDA. (As such, people under an NDA can seek whistleblower protection if they discover criminal activity, etc. etc.)

Not paying someone because they didn't sign a contract before they were employed is a particularly dodgy practice, in my opinion.

I'm guessing that the staff is now reporting the possible criminal activity and the appropriate agencies are now beginning an inquiry/investigation. It will probably take a little more time for Bachmann to actually get in trouble, if there's enough evidence still around to do so.

Glove and Boots is good for Blog!
Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47567: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:56:21 PM

Poll: 75% of Americans support a constitutional amendment to allow for term limits to Congress

Great! Now we just need congress to vote on it-

edited 18th Jan '13 2:56:36 PM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Linhasxoc Since: Jun, 2009
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#47569: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:57:46 PM

Really, if we can get most of the states to back it, we can force a vote on it, but will they vote yea? Probably not.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#47570: Jan 18th 2013 at 2:58:57 PM

There is nothing that term limits achieve that ditching congresspeople after x terms through elections doesn't except to prevent competent people from keeping office. And if people keep being relected, then the electoral system needs fixing and not the terms.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#47571: Jan 18th 2013 at 3:11:06 PM

I don't know. Remember, for the Republican party at least, a lot of what they're having issues with is people being paranoid about being primaries by Tea Party candidates. They wouldn't have to worry about that in their last term.

Still, not a fan.

Lascoden ... from Missouri, USA Since: Nov, 2012
...
#47572: Jan 18th 2013 at 3:13:37 PM

What exactly is the difference between term limits for Congress and for the presidency? Is it just that the President holds more concentrated power?

boop
Baff Since: Jul, 2011
#47573: Jan 18th 2013 at 3:13:58 PM

Term limits would probably not be a good idea.

The whole primary problem with the republican party? It would become double?

Also what would we do with so many ex-congressman? It would foster corruption since they woul need to make a living after their term was up so they would have to sell themselves ever more that they already do, while at office, to ensure that they can have a lucrative afterwards. .

Same with judges.

Also congress would never vote for it. I can imagine the senate vote, 70 yea, 37 abstentions, and 3 nay from the honorable gentleman that are about to retire anyways.

edited 18th Jan '13 3:16:04 PM by Baff

I will always cherish the chance of a new beggining.
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#47574: Jan 18th 2013 at 3:16:06 PM

[up]Like the current system isn't also corrupt?

I also fail to see what makes new congress members inherently worse than old ones. Just because the old guard are gone it doesn't mean everybody will morph into a Tea Partier.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#47575: Jan 18th 2013 at 3:17:13 PM

Term limits would also foster this problem

Ain't no difference between term limits for presidents and congressmen.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

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