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

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239301: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:19:40 PM

There's a reason all voter suppression and the most egregious gerrymandering is Republican. They've been this way for quite a while.

Mainly because they're right-wing authoritarians who have wet dreams about Putin's Russia.

edited 18th Apr '18 7:20:27 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#239302: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:22:08 PM

They've been like this for a while but they really flipped their shit when Obama won twice.

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239303: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:22:08 PM

Reposting, since this is big and got buried on the last page

From Attorney General Schneiderman:

Long ago, SCOTUS made clear that presidents cannot pardon for state crimes—now it’s time for New York law to do the same.

No one accused of breaking NY’s laws should escape accountability merely because of a strategically timed presidential pardon. [1]

We are disturbed by reports that @POTUS is considering pardons of individuals who may have committed serious federal crimes—acts that may also violate NY law.

We must ensure that if any president issues such pardons, we can use NY’s laws to bring such individuals to justice. [2]

The full letter can be read here

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#239304: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:22:47 PM

[up][up][up]Indeed. No one should doubt for a second that a lot of Republicans wouldn't jail people for blasphemy or murder journalists if they thought they could get away with it.

edited 18th Apr '18 7:23:03 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#239305: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:24:37 PM

[up] Nowadays they're stuck pushing "Religious Freedumb" measures and whining about "Librul media" and "Fake News".

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239306: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:25:49 PM

[up][up] To expand on this a bit more:

This is a MAJOR statement. We always anticipated @AG Schneiderman was Mueller's counterpunch to the pardon power. Now we have proof. [1]

There are plenty of NY State crimes that Mueller deliberately hasn't charged, which @AG Schneiderman would be free to prosecute. Mueller structured his indictments brilliantly to give @AG Schneiderman as large an opening as possible in case widespread pardons are deployed. [2]

And this:

.@AG Schneiderman's letter is more a message to Trump than a request for change NY law. Schneiderman is free under current New York law to prosecute any crimes not charged by Mueller, and Mueller has left him plenty of legal openings in the way he structured his indictments. [3]

edited 18th Apr '18 7:43:39 PM by megaeliz

FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare
#239307: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:28:26 PM

Re: the Wagner Group

I'm actually more than content with their destruction given how they ironically tried to mask their national origins by using a German brand name.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#239308: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:28:31 PM

So Mitch McConnell is looking to extend the Senate workweeks in order to prevent vulnerable Democratic senators from having time to campaign. Fucking slimeball.

I mean, that would also make vulnerable Republican Senators unable to campaign, too. And considering, as we get closer to Election time, there are more of them then there are Vulnerable Democrats, it would just be another Self-Inflicted Wound on the Republicans.

[up]x5 Yeah, Trump can try, but he'll fail. Heck, if he tries, it might be another nail in his coffin.

edited 18th Apr '18 7:29:07 PM by DingoWalley1

TVRulezAgain Since: Sep, 2011
#239309: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:42:15 PM

There are 26 Democratic senators up for reelection this year, 10 of which are in states Trump won. Meanwhile, there are only 9 republican senate seats up for reelection this year, with only one in a state Hillary won.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239310: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:42:15 PM

[up] Trump is so outclassed, outmatched, and so out of his depth, in every possible way.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239311: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:45:27 PM

I meant [up][up][up] it won't let me edit that post for some reason.

And the best part is that he doesn't actually need them to change the law (although that would be nice bonus). Mueller left him as much room as possible to prosecute other crimes, as backup.

edited 18th Apr '18 7:51:28 PM by megaeliz

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#239312: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:46:26 PM

[up][up][up]And yet they still seem to have a good chance at taking the Senate.

Funny how that works.

edited 18th Apr '18 7:46:42 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
TVRulezAgain Since: Sep, 2011
#239313: Apr 18th 2018 at 7:58:59 PM

Right, but the point is McCuntell's plan would disproportionately affect the Democrats. At the moment, the most competitive republican seats are Arizona, Nevada, and possibly Tennessee and Texas. Flake (AZ) and Corker (TN) are retiring, so the only campaigning republicans likely to be affected would be Cruz and Heller (NV).

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#239314: Apr 18th 2018 at 8:25:09 PM

Reportedly, Pittsburgh Police are being told to prepare to break out the riot gear in the event Trump fires Mueller.

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#239315: Apr 18th 2018 at 8:44:07 PM

If people riot, it'll look bad. They should protest peacefully.

Do not obey in advance.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
tenryufan from Toronto Since: Dec, 2012
#239317: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:00:09 PM

Imagine what would happen if the Democrats were to become Far-left.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#239318: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:02:26 PM

[up] That's not going to happen anytime soon. If ever. All of the far-left nutters go Green.

Disgusted, but not surprised
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#239319: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:13:14 PM

Is that Wagner story what really happened? Because if so, that's actually hilarious, even with a death toll that high.

It's been fun.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#239320: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:19:44 PM

[up] Wikipedia says yes

It's absolutely overkill, in the best way possible.

[down] claimed death tolls from each country.

  • Syrian claim: 55 killed
  • SOHR claim: 68 killed
  • U.S. claim: 100+ killed

The first two are from state run media, so are just Propaganda.

edited 18th Apr '18 9:54:16 PM by megaeliz

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#239321: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:26:59 PM

[up][up] The actual number of dead is probably a little lower than the stated total, but by all accounts it was a fairly humiliating defeat. The AC-130 and Apaches did most of the work, which says a lot about how unprepared those mercenaries were.

[up] If I had to guess I’d put it in the 150-200 range.

Wagner itself is almost hilariously shady. They get their name from their founder’s love of Nazi culture, they’ve popped up everywhere from the Donbass to Sudan and the CAR, and they have deep ties to the Russian Mo D to the point where some have accused them of being mercenaries in name only. They train at military bases and essentially operate as a deniable force for the Kremlin. Basically any shady behavior you can name they’re up to.

edited 18th Apr '18 9:37:22 PM by archonspeaks

They should have sent a poet.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#239322: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:31:07 PM

Maybe the Kremlin should ask for a refund or something. They clearly didn't get their rubles' worth.

Normally I wouldn't be this cavalier about people dying but, well, see my previous post.

Disgusted, but not surprised
rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#239323: Apr 18th 2018 at 9:56:48 PM

U.S. seeks to deport thousands of Vietnamese protected by treaty: former ambassador:

he United States is seeking to send thousands of immigrants from Vietnam back to the communist-ruled country despite a bilateral agreement that should protect most from deportation, according to Washington’s former ambassador to Hanoi.

A “small number” of people protected by the agreement have already been sent back, the former ambassador, Ted Osius, told Reuters in an interview.

Osius said that many of the targeted immigrants were supporters of the now defunct U.S.-backed state of South Vietnam, and Hanoi would see them as destabilizing elements.

“These people don’t really have a country to come back to,” he said. Many of those targeted would have come to the United States as refugees after the end of the Vietnam War.

Osius said the push by the Trump administration started in April last year and contributed to his resignation in October.

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesman, Brendan Raedy, said that as of December last year, there were 8,600 Vietnamese nationals in the United States subject to deportation and “7,821 have criminal convictions”.

The Trump administration has labeled Vietnam and eight other countries “recalcitrant” for their unwillingness to accept their deported nationals back.

The Vietnamese immigrants, most of whom are legal U.S. residents but not citizens, are in a unique position, however.

According to Osius, most of those targeted for deportation arrived in the United States prior to 1995, the year diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United States were resumed after the Vietnam War.

A 2008 bilateral agreement between Vietnam and the United States states that “Vietnamese citizens are not subject to return to Vietnam” if they “arrived in the United States before July 12, 1995”.

Osius said the Trump administration had threatened to withhold privileges for Vietnamese officials to the United States and link the issue to trade between the two countries.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#239324: Apr 18th 2018 at 10:16:31 PM

As someone with a bit of Vietnamese ancestry in my family tree, this strikes a nerve.

Disgusted, but not surprised
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#239325: Apr 18th 2018 at 10:18:44 PM

Anything to get as many immigrants out of the country, I guess.


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