The Political Junkie Thread

[Lotusland]

Surprise, you can’t actually identify imaginary people stuffing illegal ballots into collection “boxes” from cell phone data.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/maga-filmmak ... 10991.html

[Furniture]

So Biden pardons his son. Not sure what anyone else thinks but I love it!

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... on-hunter/

I 100% understand why he did it and don't fault him for it, but when Trump starts pardoning the January 6 crowd and the rest of his criminal followers, be prepared for a whole lot of whataboutism. Trump was going to pardon those clowns either way, so Biden might as well do what he's going to do. But I thought he might wait a little longer and try to keep it as quiet as possible.

I don't totally understand the original point of the presidential pardon but I think it has officially outlived its useful life.

There's a pretty sordid recent history with regard to pardons, whether it be familial (Trump pardoned his daughter's father-in-law, who now stands to be an Ambassador) political (HW and the Iran Contra pardons) or personal (Marc Rich). Whataboutism sucks, but there's a more complete context that makes this, well, more normal.

To me, I think it's just sort of a final reminder of how much faith Biden and mainline Democrats continued to have in norms, systems and the way things are supposed to work. Biden could promise not to pardon Hunter because it seems like it was inconceivable we'd be in a place where Trump's threats of vengance against his numerous enemies and critics could actually be enacted. There's no way that a Justice Department could actually be weaponized that way. No way a party would allow it. No way a Court could countenance it. No way the American people would vote for it.

That naivete, I think, is no small part of why we're where we are.

I wonder if the straw that broke the camels back for Biden was the appointment of Kash Patel? Trump Loyalist who has promised to go after Trumps enemies. Would Patel have gone after Hunter for other things? This is one way to squash that.

[mattman91]

“No one is above the law”

- Joe Biden 5/31/24


Joe Biden 12/1/2024

*pardons his son*

How do we feel about this? Is Hunter a “no one”, or is Joe a liar?

[mattman91]

https://x.com/defiantls/status/1863582038906806517?s=46

I wonder what these people think of the above question…

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I 100% understand why he did it and don't fault him for it, but when Trump starts pardoning the January 6 crowd and the rest of his criminal followers, be prepared for a whole lot of whataboutism. Trump was going to pardon those clowns either way, so Biden might as well do what he's going to do. But I thought he might wait a little longer and try to keep it as quiet as possible.

I don't totally understand the original point of the presidential pardon but I think it has officially outlived its useful life.

There's a pretty sordid recent history with regard to pardons, whether it be familial (Trump pardoned his daughter's father-in-law, who now stands to be an Ambassador) political (HW and the Iran Contra pardons) or personal (Marc Rich). Whataboutism sucks, but there's a more complete context that makes this, well, more normal.

To me, I think it's just sort of a final reminder of how much faith Biden and mainline Democrats continued to have in norms, systems and the way things are supposed to work. Biden could promise not to pardon Hunter because it seems like it was inconceivable we'd be in a place where Trump's threats of vengance against his numerous enemies and critics could actually be enacted. There's no way that a Justice Department could actually be weaponized that way. No way a party would allow it. No way a Court could countenance it. No way the American people would vote for it.

That naivete, I think, is no small part of why we're where we are.

I wonder if the straw that broke the camels back for Biden was the appointment of Kash Patel? Trump Loyalist who has promised to go after Trumps enemies. Would Patel have gone after Hunter for other things? This is one way to squash that.

Trump began the long descent of decency in this country. Biden realized that you can't bring a knife to a gun fight. It is a shame that this is where our country is. If not for the Fox News obsession with Hunter, it might not have come to this. As I said above, this is going to really accelerate the slippery slope that we were already on, and this one questionable action will be used to justify countless questionable actions by the other side.

The big takeaway for me about this is that there are a number of Dems who are questioning Biden on this (see how I used terms like "questionable"). Unlike the Republicans who fall in line with Trump no matter what heinous statements he makes. The next four years will be the real proof of whether this country has become a total cult beholden to a raging sociopathic lunatic whose sole purpose seems to be to antagonize the other side rather than to bring the county together, or whether some Republicans in the Cabinet, Congress, and the judiciary will occasionally stand up to him.

[ArkieDukie]

Honestly, I was surprised to hear NPR talk about the pardon as questionable. One report gave more context (Hunter was prosecuted for something that is rarely pursued for anyone else. I didn’t realize that it was a blanket pardon covering a decade until yesterday. While more questionable, I understand why. As someone else already pointed out, Trump is pledging to go after all political enemies and specifically named Hunter Biden in his list. His picks for justice and the FBI are saying they will follow through. I hope Biden also preemptively pardons everyone on Trump’s list, because none of them have done anything to deserve what is coming in the Trump vengeance tour.

[jipops]

Lord help me. I’m visiting my dad, who is currently watching Faux News. The disinformation is unbelievable. They’re talking about illegal immigrants now, and to hear them talk, the number of migrants is dropping because of Trump’s victory. Just one example. Lots of passive-aggressive talk about all the things Trump is going to fix once he is in office.

Last night, in a discussion about cheating in sports, Dad randomly changed the subject to transgenders in women’s sports and how awful it is. I told him it’s not as big a problem as he thinks, and there are bigger issues to worry about. He said, “So you think it’s okay to have men in women’s sports?” If I had been thinking, I would’ve said that the number of women dying as a result of the Trump abortion bans is far greater than the number of transgender women in women’s sports.

A little late in responding to this topic, but an additional rebuttal to this - published last year in US News only about 30 transgender athletes competed in college sports in 2023. That is less than one per state. And it is estimated that less than half of 1 percent of all high school athletes nationally are transgender. So no, it’s not an actual issue at all. It’s a fear mongering narrative for the purpose of legitimizing bigotry.

[jipops]

There's a pretty sordid recent history with regard to pardons, whether it be familial (Trump pardoned his daughter's father-in-law, who now stands to be an Ambassador) political (HW and the Iran Contra pardons) or personal (Marc Rich). Whataboutism sucks, but there's a more complete context that makes this, well, more normal.

To me, I think it's just sort of a final reminder of how much faith Biden and mainline Democrats continued to have in norms, systems and the way things are supposed to work. Biden could promise not to pardon Hunter because it seems like it was inconceivable we'd be in a place where Trump's threats of vengance against his numerous enemies and critics could actually be enacted. There's no way that a Justice Department could actually be weaponized that way. No way a party would allow it. No way a Court could countenance it. No way the American people would vote for it.

That naivete, I think, is no small part of why we're where we are.

I wonder if the straw that broke the camels back for Biden was the appointment of Kash Patel? Trump Loyalist who has promised to go after Trumps enemies. Would Patel have gone after Hunter for other things? This is one way to squash that.

Trump began the long descent of decency in this country. Biden realized that you can't bring a knife to a gun fight. It is a shame that this is where our country is. If not for the Fox News obsession with Hunter, it might not have come to this. As I said above, this is going to really accelerate the slippery slope that we were already on, and this one questionable action will be used to justify countless questionable actions by the other side.

The big takeaway for me about this is that there are a number of Dems who are questioning Biden on this (see how I used terms like "questionable"). Unlike the Republicans who fall in line with Trump no matter what heinous statements he makes. The next four years will be the real proof of whether this country has become a total cult beholden to a raging sociopathic lunatic whose sole purpose seems to be to antagonize the other side rather than to bring the county together, or whether some Republicans in the Cabinet, Congress, and the judiciary will occasionally stand up to him.

I don’t the Hunter pardon at all. At the same time, I don’t think he would have done it if Harris had won. To me though this just continues our cultural descent into an abandonment of all norms and a continued rise in cynicism. The lack of trust in govt function puts this country at a great disadvantage. Biden’s pardon doesn’t help with that.

I hope Joe takes a hard look at people who are deserving of clemency during his last weeks in office.

[Furniture]

Lord help me. I’m visiting my dad, who is currently watching Faux News. The disinformation is unbelievable. They’re talking about illegal immigrants now, and to hear them talk, the number of migrants is dropping because of Trump’s victory. Just one example. Lots of passive-aggressive talk about all the things Trump is going to fix once he is in office.

Last night, in a discussion about cheating in sports, Dad randomly changed the subject to transgenders in women’s sports and how awful it is. I told him it’s not as big a problem as he thinks, and there are bigger issues to worry about. He said, “So you think it’s okay to have men in women’s sports?” If I had been thinking, I would’ve said that the number of women dying as a result of the Trump abortion bans is far greater than the number of transgender women in women’s sports.

A little late in responding to this topic, but an additional rebuttal to this - published last year in US News only about 30 transgender athletes competed in college sports in 2023. That is less than one per state. And it is estimated that less than half of 1 percent of all high school athletes nationally are transgender. So no, it’s not an actual issue at all. It’s a fear mongering narrative for the purpose of legitimizing bigotry.

Sounds like a huge issue that should affect elections.

[Chicago 1995]

“No one is above the law”

- Joe Biden 5/31/24


Joe Biden 12/1/2024

*pardons his son*

How do we feel about this? Is Hunter a “no one”, or is Joe a liar?

I think there's an intervening event that's evidence the American people don't agree with Joe's 5.31.24 quote. I also think we'd not be having this conversation if a Republican did the same thing. For better or worse, Democrats are held to a different standard.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vented his displeasure Monday after two Democratic-appointed federal judges reversed their decisions to retire in what appear to be efforts to stop President-elect Trump from nominating their successors.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mcconnell-cr ... 26109.html

[Lotusland]

But a presidential pardon is within the law, not above it. No one ever said that Trump won’t have a legal right to pardon himself while president. “No one is above the law” was said in response to Trump’s claims of immunity and attacks against those attempting to bring him to justice. Like it or not, presidential pardons, by Trump and Biden, are within the law.

[Lotusland]

Everything about judicial appointments, and the the courts, seemed completely non-partisan util this happened. Just ask Justice Merrick Garland. Or ask Justice Thomas, if you can afford to have him over for a chat.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Everything about judicial appointments, and the the courts, seemed completely non-partisan util this happened. Just ask Justice Merrick Garland. Or ask Justice Thomas, if you can afford to have him over for a chat.

i'd ask, but I don't want to wait three years for an answer.
PS, it's AG Garland. It would be Justice if it hadn't been for Mitch.

[Lotusland]

Everything about judicial appointments, and the the courts, seemed completely non-partisan util this happened. Just ask Justice Merrick Garland. Or ask Justice Thomas, if you can afford to have him over for a chat.

i'd ask, but I don't want to wait three years for an answer.
PS, it's AG Garland. It would be Justice if it hadn't been for Mitch.

I thought the sarcasm was apparent. Maybe I should add /s?

[CameronBornAndBred]

I thought the sarcasm was apparent. Maybe I should add /s?

Fuck that, we have a whole assortment of emojis! (And obviously, no wankerizer)

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vented his displeasure Monday after two Democratic-appointed federal judges reversed their decisions to retire in what appear to be efforts to stop President-elect Trump from nominating their successors.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mcconnell-cr ... 26109.html

Wow. Pot. Kettle. Black. His refusal to consider Garland was what really accelerated the downfall and partisanship of the judicial branch. He single-handedly did this. What a hypocrite. He needs to just STFU and sit on his rocking chair in Kentucky and leave the rest of us alone. Trump many times directly insulted his wife yet he continues to kiss Trump's backside. What a sniveling loser.

Sorry - I have zero tolerance for this. And I am more and more distressed each day with what our nation has become.

[jipops]

This power grab by the GOP super majority of the NC General Assembly is some truly authoritarian shit. Look for of this type of shit to go down in other states. Voting will eventually be irrelevant in the gerrymandered to hell state of NC.

https://amp.newsobserver.com/news/polit ... 31214.html

Here are some of the policy ramifications of Senate Bill 382:
• Prevents Gov.-elect Josh Stein from appointing members onto the State Board of Elections by transferring that authority over to Republican Auditor-elect Dave
Boliek.
• Makes the State Highway Patrol an independent agency and requires Stein to get the General Assembly's approval for a five-year appointment
• If a Supreme Court or Court Appeals vacancy emerges, Stein must fill it from a list of recommendations provided by the political party of the departing judge, thus preventing him from filling a potential GOP vacancy with a Democrat.
• Removes the seats of Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins and Forsyth County Superior Court Judge Todd Burke. Collins and Burke have ruled against election law changes that GOP lawmakers have put forward over the years.
• Prohibits Attorney General-elect Jeff Jackson from participating in lawsuits that undercut actions taken by the General Assembly. The bill says Jackson "shall not, as a party, amicus, or any other participant in an action pending before a state or federal court in another state, advance any argument that would result in the invalidation of any statute enacted by the General Assembly."
• Prevents Lt. Gov.-elect Rachel Hunt from chairing committees on energy issues.
The bill also eliminates the Energy Policy Council, which has been chaired by the lieutenant governor.
• Prevents Democratic Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Mo Green from appealing decisions made by the Charter Schools Review Board.
• Reduces the timeframe voters can "cure" their provisional ballots from nine days to three days. Provisionals tend to favor Democratic candidates and proved essential to Supreme Court Justice Allison Riggs' efforts to overtake the lead of Republican Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin.

[ArkieDukie]

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) vented his displeasure Monday after two Democratic-appointed federal judges reversed their decisions to retire in what appear to be efforts to stop President-elect Trump from nominating their successors.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/mcconnell-cr ... 26109.html

Wow. Pot. Kettle. Black. His refusal to consider Garland was what really accelerated the downfall and partisanship of the judicial branch. He single-handedly did this. What a hypocrite. He needs to just STFU and sit on his rocking chair in Kentucky and leave the rest of us alone. Trump many times directly insulted his wife yet he continues to kiss Trump's backside. What a sniveling loser.

Sorry - I have zero tolerance for this. And I am more and more distressed each day with what our nation has become.

It’s worse than that. He also refused to bring ANY of Pres Obama’s judicial nominees forward. That is how the orange guy got to appoint so many judges. I have less than no respect for McConnell.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I find this really interesting. Chad Chronister (bless your parents' naming skills) was and now isn't Trump's pick for the DEA. I had no idea who he was, because, I'm like the rest of America.
Here's part of his statement.

Sheriff Chronister, the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County, Florida, said in a post on X that he was backing away from the opportunity, which he called “the honor of a lifetime.”

“Over the past several days, as the gravity of this very important responsibility set in, I’ve concluded that I must respectfully withdraw from consideration,” Chronister wrote. He did not elaborate, and Trump's transition team did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

My guess is that he's got some skeletons that were about to be loosed out of his closet. Same thing that took Gaetz down, except his were mostly known.
Note to Team Trump...vetting is done for a reason.

Yes, CC may very well be more invested in continuing to serve his local community as he further posted, but I ain't buying that. Does a football coach stay at Coastal Carolina when the ACC calls? Only if they are about to be exposed for cheating on the wife while cheating on an exam at Carolina.

Long story short...Mr. Trump might look into the idea of vetting, as much as it pains him.


PS...CC might be totally true to form and sticking with the home team because they need him...but I'm withholding my giggles.