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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
A few stories from today's still developing WTF Just Happened Today feed:
More than 118,000 California primary voters were left off the voter rolls due to a random printing error. Those voters can still cast provisional ballots, but the process of counting and verifying a large number of provisional ballots could delay the vote tally in some local races. "We apologize for the inconvenience and concern this has caused," said the Los Angeles County Clerk in a statement. "Voters should be assured their vote will be counted." (CNN / Politico)
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/06/05/los-angeles-voters-error-627994
Jeff Sessions defended the Trump administration policy of separating migrant children from their families when they arrive at the U.S. southern border. "If people don’t want to be separated from their children, they should not bring them with them," Sessions told conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. "We’ve got to get this message out. You’re not given immunity." (Washington Post)
The Trump communications aide who mocked John Mc Cain's deteriorating health has left the White House. The White House said Kelly Sadler is "no longer employed within the executive office of the president," but two people familiar with Sadler's departure said she was not ousted because of her comments about Mc Cain. They suggested that Sadler was pushed out due to tensions between her and White House strategic communications director Mercedes Schlapp, who were reportedly unable to be in the same room with each other. (New York Times / CNN)
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/05/politics/kelly-sadler-white-house/index.html
Also
DOJ watchdog finds James Comey defied authority as FBI director, sources say
One source told ABC News that the draft report explicitly used the word "insubordinate" to describe Comey's behavior. Another source agreed with that characterization but could not confirm the use of the term.
In the draft report, Inspector General Michael Horowitz also rebuked former Attorney General Loretta Lynch for her handling of the federal investigation into Hillary Clinton's personal email server, the sources said.
On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump complained of "numerous delays" in the release of Horowitz's final report, which is expected to run several hundred pages long and be released in the coming days. The sources who spoke to ABC News were willing or able to address only a portion of the draft report's complete findings.
"What is taking so long with the Inspector General's Report on Crooked Hillary and Slippery James Comey," Trump said on Twitter. "Hope report is not being changed and made weaker!"
edited 6th Jun '18 9:44:32 AM by sgamer82
So Trump just invoked the War of 1812 and the burning of Washington D.C. in a quip to Trudeau when the latter pressed him on justifying Canada being a national security threat on trade. While the blame for that war can be divided on the basis of British trade interdiction and press ganging, and American expansionism; the attack on Washington was conducted by British troops in line with the customs of war at the time and in retaliation for the razing of York in British North America. The conditions of such events obvious do not exist nowadays.
No surprise, historical ignorance is a virtue among Trump's kind (ie; Republicans). There is no security justification for slapping such tariffs on a NATO ally, but the US has a long history of ignoring trade law whenever they feel like it, so ignoring their own laws on the subjects isn't that big of a step.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/06/politics/war-of-1812-donald-trump-justin-trudeau-tariff/index.html
edited 6th Jun '18 10:21:24 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.Trump has commuted the Life Imprisonment of Alice Maria Johnson, who was arrested in 1996 due to aiding a cocaine ring, due to Kim Kardashian asking Trump to do so
. Yes, that Kim Kardashian.
As someone who's against the War on Drugs, I'm fine with this Pardon, it's just odd that it's coming from Trump, who wants to allow legal murder for Drug Dealers and arrests on Pharmacists and Doctors for their part in the current opioid epidemic.
edited 6th Jun '18 10:23:52 AM by DingoWalley1
I see no reason to be disgusted by this.
But it is the moment that, officially, this is Prince Joffrey and Sansa on display.
Also, I'm really rooting for our first Native American Congresswoman.
She's doing well
edited 6th Jun '18 10:36:58 AM by CharlesPhipps
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.It's the nature of unchecked unlimited power.
At some point, your whims become law.
So someone begging is as likely to get justice as condemn. I'm reminded of the fact Henry VIII pardoned the rape and murder committed by his groom because, I'm assuming, he really liked the guy (who was later accused of sleeping with his 4th wife).
Weirdly, HBO's Tudors left that out, I assume because they didn't realize Henry was QUITE that much of a shitheel.
edited 6th Jun '18 10:43:41 AM by CharlesPhipps
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.And even then, it was mostly limited to government buildings. It was a raid that happened to damage and destroy some iconic buildings (the Americans had evacuated everything and everyone of practical value), its military importance was next to nil.
Point is, Trump has been spending the last few weeks pissing away any support or goodwill among the G7. Shinzo Abe is the only one with any reason to make nice with him.
Bob Corker (R-TN) is trying to push ahead a law in the Senate that would curtail Trump's tariff powers. However, the other GOP enablers in Congress for the most part aren't willing to take Trump on for fear of pissing off the base.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/06/06/politics/bob-corker-trump-call-trade-fight/index.html
Any state with significant Republican representation in Congress just got an even bigger target painted on it.
edited 6th Jun '18 11:10:19 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.Even if we do somehow undo the damage done to the country, the damage done in terms of society will be the work of generations. The bigots, the racists, the entitled and privileged scum of the dark corners of the Internet have become emboldened and started showing their true colors. That isn't going to go away in a mere 5, 10 years.
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Attacking the Trump organization or individuals in peanuts compared the American economy, and Trump has never backed off in the face of such attacks. While it might be justified or a good idea, it has to be secondary to economic pressure on GOP Congressional members, and anyone else who might not play nice (the maple syrup tariffs aimed at Vermont might be aimed at Sanders mobilizing to stop Trump, or at least stay silent on protectionism). Plus those tariffs minimize damage to the other countries as it keeps the prices of American goods high.
I'd say you'd have to elect two good Presidents in a row (assuming 8 year terms) before the legacies of Trump and Bush 2 begin to fade. And that means the GOP coming to sanity or being shut out of power for an unprecedented amount of time...
edited 6th Jun '18 11:24:43 AM by Rationalinsanity
Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.Welp, Giuliani had an Open Mouth, Insert Foot moment bigger than Bolton's -
In other news, the Mesa, Arizona police department suspended 4 officers
due to Police Brutality against an unarmed, non-violent suspect. And he's still getting charged with Disorderly Conduct.
This is, notably, the same Department in which an officer shot a man begging for his life, yet was found Not Guilty
because he mistook the man reaching for his waistband to pull up his shorts as his reaching for a gun.
And in Immigration news, ICE arrested 114 employees at two Ohio properties belonging to Corso's Flower & Garden Center
- and yet no charges have been filed against the company that hired so many illegal immigrants. Yay double-standards!
edited 6th Jun '18 12:50:08 PM by ironballs16
"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
x4 But no one has actually tried specifically targeting his family before.
The entire Trump organization is basically one big, stupid, Mafia, complete with the obsession with loyalty, and "keep it in the family" business model, and can be treated as such. The best way to get at the big fish, is by picking off the little fish. That's what Mueller's doing.
edited 6th Jun '18 12:58:12 PM by megaeliz

edited 6th Jun '18 8:46:08 AM by megaeliz