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

Luminosity Since: Jun, 2012 Relationship Status: Lovey-Dovey
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#118127: Apr 2nd 2016 at 2:43:11 PM

What I find odd is that they aren't just downvoting Garland. That would be the proper way of doing it and does not give the appearance of petty obstructionism.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#118128: Apr 2nd 2016 at 3:33:19 PM

The Republicans in the Senate have managed to devolve to a point where even "let him nominate, it won't get past us" is acceptable. Now, they apparently have to block and obstruct and generally wreck the political process of the US or they "lose" somehow.

Is the Senate vote a secret vote? If it is, that might explain it, since a surprisingly large amount of the Senate Republicans are vocally getting sick of the obstructionism.

edited 2nd Apr '16 3:35:28 PM by Zendervai

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#118129: Apr 2nd 2016 at 3:39:30 PM

Which vote? The "obstruct!" one or the "confirmation" one? The latter is a public record.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#118130: Apr 2nd 2016 at 4:22:27 PM

I meant the confirm one.

And since it isn't a secret vote, that means this is getting progressively stupider, at least in my opinion.

Or is Mc Connell that worried about people breaking ranks?

ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#118131: Apr 2nd 2016 at 4:36:14 PM

No, what he wants is to make sure that nothing will ever get done until a Republican is in charge, at which point everything will be terrible.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#118132: Apr 2nd 2016 at 4:37:16 PM

The GOP's support base will implode if he keeps up this obstruction junk for too long; the American public as a whole is already sick of it.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#118135: Apr 2nd 2016 at 5:26:52 PM

Is this honestly better? If Trump is the nominee and gets thrashed it would send the message to his supporters that he can't win. If the party actively tries to screw him over it would just give them a way to blame the Republicans for his loss.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#118136: Apr 2nd 2016 at 5:37:04 PM

They don't care. They want the dignity and ideological purity of the party to be kept in tact, than give it to some Nouveau Riche esque huckster with a bad combover.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#118137: Apr 2nd 2016 at 6:21:18 PM

He isn't New Money, though.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#118138: Apr 2nd 2016 at 7:07:34 PM

He acts like New Money and that's all that matters. He doesn't follow the rules of the dinner forks, nor the proper clothing combinations.

Trump doesn't follow the rules, and that's part of the rejection. He may be Old Money, but he acts like a boorish New Money slob who doesn't follow the rules of decorum and dog whistles and is threatening the 'dignity' of their racket

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#118139: Apr 3rd 2016 at 12:42:07 AM

@Zendervai: It's not a formal "vote" at all. The nomination won't even come to a vote at all without the support of the majority of the Republican caucus (the Hastert Rule).

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#118140: Apr 3rd 2016 at 1:15:32 AM

The Hastert Rule is about the House, the Senate rules don't give the majority that much control.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#118141: Apr 3rd 2016 at 1:53:27 AM

Does the FBI being able to hack iphones now count as politics?

Krieger22 Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018 from Malaysia Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
#118142: Apr 3rd 2016 at 1:55:01 AM

[up]Yes, although I think it can be crossposted to the Law Enforcement and surveillance threads as well.

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#118143: Apr 3rd 2016 at 1:58:28 AM

Its just crazy- its a agency that is supposed to protect people (I think) but now theyre abusing a process that only makes people less secure. They wont even tell apple how they hacked the iphone. Plus I think they technically lied under oath when they said there was no way for them to hack the iphone without a backdoor?

rikalous World's Cutest Direwolf from Upscale Mordor (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
World's Cutest Direwolf
#118144: Apr 3rd 2016 at 2:12:17 AM

Or they were mistaken, and since corrected that misperception.

Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#118145: Apr 3rd 2016 at 2:15:16 AM

[up][up]

Its just crazy- its a agency that is supposed to protect people (I think) but now theyre abusing a process that only makes people less secure.

The FBI would probably say that they're making the country as a whole more secure.

Plus I think they technically lied under oath when they said there was no way for them to hack the iphone without a backdoor?

The FBI didn't know how at the time how to hack the iPhone. Their people later found a way.

Keep Rolling On
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#118146: Apr 3rd 2016 at 2:17:55 AM

Plus I think they technically lied under oath when they said there was no way for them to hack the iphone without a backdoor?

>Implying this is the first time they've done that

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#118147: Apr 3rd 2016 at 2:22:58 AM

Gonna have to side with Greenmantle here. They could plausibly not have known that there was a way in (which is a sign of stunning idiocy about how computers work, but that is perfectly plausible).

Krieger22 Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018 from Malaysia Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
#118148: Apr 3rd 2016 at 3:13:01 AM

Considered the amount of Inter-Service Rivalry I've read in accounts of FBI interactions with other law enforcement agencies, domestic and foreign, I reckon their pride simply prevented them from turning to the NSA. Didn't they find some Israeli forensic outfit to do the hack?

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#118149: Apr 3rd 2016 at 3:36:37 AM

They'd rather rely on foreigners than on their local rivals? I may be wrong, but this seems despicable.

Well, I must confess I'm intensely biased against contracting Israeli folks on matters of "defense", "security", and "intelligence".

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#118150: Apr 3rd 2016 at 4:22:05 AM

[up]

They'd rather rely on foreigners than on their local rivals?

Rather like the British Government and steel...

Keep Rolling On

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